


Something to Fight For

by Yusuke_Uchiha



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Gold & Silver & Crystal | Pokemon Gold Silver Crystal Versions
Genre: M/M, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Tragedy, VERY brief mention of Red/Green pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-01-29 17:35:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 151,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12635880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yusuke_Uchiha/pseuds/Yusuke_Uchiha
Summary: It's been five years since Gold and Silver have seen each other. They did not part on good terms, so when they meet at Olivine's bar, their meeting is cold. However, tragic circumstances surrounding both of their lives might bring them closer than they ever imagined they would be.





	1. The Meeting

_For what felt like the hundredth time, Silver watched as his Feraligatr fell in battle to Gold's Shiftry. It was no different than every other time they battled. It was as if Gold had built his party specifically to combat Silver's. No matter what new strategy Silver tried, Gold always had a counter. Every weakness Silver tried to exploit, Gold compensated for. Every time Silver thought he had the upper hand, Gold would turn the entire battle on its head within a few moves._

_This battle, though, it wasn't like all of the others. He'd lost to Gold more times than he could count, but this loss had come after the lecture Silver had been given by the smug Dragon trainer Lance. When Lance had first made his statements about treating his Pokemon better, Silver had scoffed in his face, but now... He'd seen Gold with his Pokemon. They genuinely loved him. When he was in danger, they protected him. When he released them into battle, they were like extensions of him. Silver didn't have that with his Pokemon. He knew he didn't. They obeyed him, but begrudgingly. And there was no way any of them would put themselves in harm's way to protect him. Why would they?_

_So the battle ended, just like it always did, and when Silver returned his Feraligatr to its Pokeball, he was silent; none of his usual quips about "beating Gold next time" or "my Pokemon were too weak."_

_This fact, evidently, wasn't lost on Gold as he approached and asked, "Hey. Are you okay?"_

_Silver soffed and turned his back, "Don't mock me. You don't give a damn."_

_He heard Gold sigh and say, "You really_ are _a dick, do you know that?"_

_Of course he knew that. He'd never claimed to be anything more, so why did Gold feel the need to say it. Was it really that much of a revelation?_

_Silver shoved his hands into his pockets and answered, "And yet you keep wasting your time with me. Why?"_

_He heard Gold start to walk in his direction and turned his head in time to see the younger teenager walk right past him, toward the exit of Mahogany town. He stopped after a few feet and said, "Because you're not as bad as you think you are."_

_He didn't have time to ask Gold what he meant because the black-haired trainer called out his Altaria and was in the sky before Silver could even form the words._

* * *

Silver sat, five years later, in Olivine City's only bar with a glass of scotch in his right hand. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen Gold during that time. He knew he'd obtained Claire's badge because the old men in the Dragon's Den went on for a good ten minutes about how, at 16, Gold had been the youngest person to ever pass their test. Just one more thing Gold had up on him.

So when the bell at the bar's front door rang and Gold stepped inside, Silver was more than a little bit shocked. They made eye contact for only a fleeting second before Gold moved toward the bar and sat two seats down from Silver. He raised his hand and when the bartender approached, Gold said, "Tequila."

Silver raised his eyebrows at that, and remained silent until the bartender brought Gold his shot glass and filled it. Gold lifted the glass and looked like he was about to take the shot when Silver said, "Didn't peg you for a drinker."

Gold huffed and downed the shot before placing the glass back down. He wound his fingers together and leaned onto the bar, "There's a lot you don't know about me, Silver."

There were a few moments of silence while Gold waited for the bartender to come back around. He asked for one more shot and after the bartender provided it, Silver took a swig of his own drink and said, "Well, I know you never took on the Elite Four. What's up with that? With that team of yours, you could probably sweep them."

Gold drank his second shot and turned the shot glass upside down, indicating he was finished. He kept his eyes facing forward when he answered, "I've been on an extended vacation."

Silver scoffed. A lie, an obvious lie. He shouldn't have been surprised. He wasn't one of Gold's favorite people, and he knew that wasn't likely to change anytime soon. So he turned his attention back to his own drink and said, "You know, you don't  _have_  to make up bullshit excuses. You could just tell me to go fuck myself."

Gold shook his head before reaching into his pocket and fishing out enough money to pay and tip the bartender. He placed the cash under the shot glass, turned briefly to Silver and said, "Go fuck yourself."

Gold's words shocked him so much that Silver had to turn his head. Had Gold just...cursed at him? During that brief moment that their eyes met, Silver saw something that made his eyebrows run together. Dark circles ran under both of Gold's eyes, and his cheeks were paler than Olivine's sands. As he turned to leave, he didn't carry himself with the same obnoxious confidence that Silver remembered. His steps were heavy and his shoulders were almost slumped. Once Gold was out of sight, Silver turned back to his drink and stared down into the glass.

He'd never seen Gold like that. He almost looked...broken, like something unthinkable had occurred within the past five years to completely shatter his spirit. But what bothered Silver more was just  _how_  bothered he was. He'd grown accustomed to seeing Gold as a goofy, overly-friendly goody-two-shoes who didn't seem to notice how truly great he was at everything he did. The man that had just left the bar, however, was nothing like the one Silver remembered.

He finished off his scotch and copied Gold's actions, leaving his money under the glass and standing from his stool. He headed toward the door and he was about to open it when the large, dark-skinned bouncer standing next to it held out his arm and said, "Hold up, son."

Silver looked up at the man, momentarily shocked by how tall he was. "Yeah?"

The bouncer held out his hand and sitting in his palm was a very familiar Pokegear, one Silver had seen plucked out of Gold's pocket dozens of times. The bouncer pointed his other thumb back toward the bar and said, "I saw you talking with the guy who dropped this. Do you know him?"

Silver knew what the bouncer was about to ask. He wanted him to bring the Pokegear back to Gold. He had no problem doing it, but he knew from Gold's cold reaction to him that the the dark-haired young man wouldn't exactly be thrilled to see him. Still, he was heading in the direction of New Bark Town anyway. It wouldn't hurt to stop by Gold's house and drop off the Pokegear.

So he held out his hand and said, "Yeah. I know where he lives. I can take it back to him."

The bouncer seemed satisfied and handed over the Pokegear. Silver slid it into his pocket and stepped out of the bar and into the night. He turned to head toward his house when footsteps coming from behind him drew his attention. He stopped in his tracks and spun around, only to come face to face with two men. They wore black jeans and black T-shirts with red Rs printed on the sleeves as well as black baseball caps. Two grey pistols were tucked snuggly into holsters on their belts.

The taller of the two men said, "Silver."

Silver had long since stopped being afraid of the Rockets, so he simply huffed and said, "Don't even bother asking. I'm not telling you a damn thing."

He then started walking past one of the Rockets. However, he didn't get far before feeling a palm roughly slam into his chest, temporarily knocking the air from his lungs. He shot a glare into the blue eyes of the Rocket who was holding him back.

The dark-haired man smirked in response and said, "Think carefully, Silver. We've given you several chances to give up the location. If you walk away now, we'll be the last friendly Rockets you see."

Silver wanted to laugh at the man's use of the word "friendly" but he didn't. Instead, he took the Rocket by his wrist, yanked his hand away, and said, "I can live with that."

The Rocket turned to his associate and the other Rocket said, "For how long?"

Silver knew perfectly well what the man was implying, but the threat bounced off like everything else the Rockets had ever said to him because it was empty. He knew perfectly well that they couldn't kill him. Apart from his father,  _he_ was the only person alive who had the information they wanted. So he walked away from the two men and called his Crobat, ready to get the trip to New Bark town over with.


	2. The Epiphany

Crobat landed on the outskirts of New Bark town, and Silver returned the tired Pokemon to its ball before heading in the direction of Gold's house. He passed by Professor Elm's lab and paused only for a moment, staring on at the door and trying to prepare himself for what he was going to do, once he returned Gold's pokegear. He'd made a lot of difficult decisions in his life, but this decision was among the hardest. Prying his feet up from the ground, he glanced up at the sun, just barely peeking up over the horizon, before continuing on.

He made it to Gold's door and knocked five times. He heard footsteps approaching and reached into his pocket to retrieve the pokegear. The door opened, and a person he didn't expect to see was staring back at him. She was short, no more than 5'2", and had the same yellow eyes as Gold. The second thing he noticed about her was the red scarf on her head, covering up what was obviously baldness. Her body was thin, and her skin withered, which told him all that he needed to know.

She smiled warmly at him, something he was not used to, before saying, "Hello. What can I do for you, dear?"

He snapped back to attention and fished the pokegear out of his pocket. "H-Hi. Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but Gold dropped this. I was just bringing it back."

She smiled again. "Oh, you're not bothering me. It was kind of you to bring it back. Would you like to-"

"Silver?"

Gold's voice yanked Silver's attention away from the woman in front of him, and he peered past her. Gold stood a few feet behind her, his hair damp and a beige towel hanging around his neck. He wore a pair of baggy black pants and a blue t-shirt, obviously sleeping clothes.

The woman turned to Gold and said, "Gold, honey. One of your friends stopped by to return your Pokegear. Apparently you dropped it."

Gold approached the door, and gently nudged past her before saying, "Thanks, Mom. I got it. You go sit down."

The woman smiled again, waved at Silver, and moved away from the door. Gold then stepped through it, into the chilly evening air, and closed it behind him. Silver took the opportunity to hold out the Pokegear to him, which Gold promptly took.

Gold slid the object in his pants pocket and said, "Thanks, but you seriously flew all the way out to New Bark Town just to bring this back?"

Silver scoffed and crossed his arms, "Don't flatter yourself. I was coming here anyway, so I figured I'd just give it back."

He saw the look of confusion on Gold's face. The younger man was obviously thinking, "The Silver  **I**  know never would have done this." As annoyed as the thought made Silver, he couldn't blame Gold for that reaction. Silver's reputation was his own doing, after all.

A silence followed Silver's statement, so he decided to break it by inquiring, "Cancer?"

Gold shoved his hands in his pocket and his shoulders tensed. He was obviously not expecting the question, but still, he answered, "Yeah. Brain tumor."

Silver felt the change in his expression before he was able to stop it. He hadn't wanted Gold to know he was pitying him. His pity was probably the last thing Gold wanted, but it was too late now. So he simply responded, "I'm sorry."

The same confused expression flashed across Gold's features, and it made Silver's chest sting. A few years ago it wouldn't have, but Silver was now in the precarious situation of regretting his past actions, which was why that confused look bothered him so much. He wasn't about to burden Gold by telling him, though, so he remained silent.

Gold turned back toward the door and said, "Yeah, whatever. I'm heading back inside. I'll see you around."

It was obvious by Gold's tone that he was just trying to be polite. He didn't actually have any desire to see Silver around, so Silver simply nodded and said, "Sure. See ya."

Once the door clicked closed behind Gold, Silver turned and his eyes fell, once again, on the door to Professor Elm's lab. His hand reached down to one of the Pokeballs on his belt and he made himself take the first steps, dreading carrying out the decision he'd made, but knowing it was necessary.

* * *

Gold leaned his back against the door in time for his mother to ask, "Who was that, honey?"

She was sitting in her recliner, right next to the living room window, playing one of the many games on her laptop. Gold peeled his back off of the door and sat to her right on the couch. He leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling and answered, "Silver. We've...met a few times."

That was the kindest way he could think of to tell his mother about his and Silver's acquaintanceship. The last thing he wanted was to be burdening her with the details about the year-long vendetta Silver had against him, or the dozens of battles they'd gotten into as a result.

His mother looked away from her laptop and said, "Oh yeah. You called him "Silver" when you came to the door. Is he the same one who...?"

He knew what she was referring to and answered, "Stole the Totodile from Professor Elm? Yeah. He-"

His words were halted when he looked past his mother and out of the living room window. He saw the very subject of their conversation heading in the direction of Professor Elm's lab. His mind jumped immediately to the worst case scenario, and every hair on his body stood on end as he lept up from the couch and bolted toward the door. His mother called after him, but he decided he would explain everything when he came back home.

By the time Gold opened the front door and stepped outside, Silver was out of sight, meaning he'd either already gone inside or he was sneaking around back like he had last time. Keeping as quiet as possible, Gold moved to the back of Professor Elm's lab and toward the window Silver had crawled in through when he'd taken the Totodile. To his surprise, he saw nothing, which meant Silver had gone in the front door. Now that was weird. What reason could Silver have for visiting Professor Elm?

"Professor Elm?" came a familiar voice from beyond the open window.

Silver? He really was inside. Though Gold knew eavesdropping was wrong, he was far too curious now. He had to know what Silver was doing there, so he kept his head down and listened.

"Yes?" Professor Elm answered, "How may I-"

His voice cut off abruptly, and Gold could only guess it was because he recognized Silver as the boy who'd taken his Totodile. Gold's heart pounded a little faster as he waited for Professor Elm to threaten to call the police if Silver didn't leave. He didn't hear that, however. Instead he heard Silver say, "I came to give this back."

There was a pause after that, and during that pause, Gold's eyes widened. " _Give this back_?" Was Silver talking about the Pokemon he'd stolen? Did he really come to New Bark Town with the intention of giving back what he'd taken?

Professor Elm's voice finally echoed through the room, "Young man, is that the Pokemon you took six years ago?"

Silver gave no verbal reply, but Gold assumed he nodded or gave some other affirmative gesture as Professor Elm said, "Show it to me, if you wouldn't mind."

Gold heard the familiar sound of a pokeball opening and after a couple of seconds, he heard the equally familiar growl and cry of Silver's Feraligatr. At that point, Gold's curiosity got the better of him, and he dared to finally poke his head up just far enough so he could see in with one of his eyes.

The Feraligatr stood before Professor Elm and the old man crossed his arms before asking, "Feraligatr? Do you remember me?

The large Pokemon stared on at Professor Elm for several seconds, but Gold saw the eventual recognition come over its face. It released a soft cry and smiled happily before nudging its head against the side of Professor Elm's. The Professor responded by gently patting Feraligatr's head right before the Pokemon pulled away and stood beside Silver.

Professor Elm slid his hands into his coat pockets and asked, "So, Feraligatr, would you like to come back here and live with me?"

Gold saw the horror fall instantly over the Pokemon's face. It turned its head back and forth frantically between Professor Elm and Silver before its worried gaze rested on its trainer. Silver looked back at Feraligatr and said, "You know I stole you, Feraligatr. You've always known that. It's why you hated me at first, and I don't blame you."

Gold's chest stung when he saw tears begin to form in the eyes of the hugely powerful Pokemon, the one he'd fought against more times than he could count. Never had he seen the creature appear so fragile and afraid, even when it was only a baby. It shook its head and repeated the action it had made toward Professor Elm, nudging its head against Silver's. Only this time, it released a low pitched, pitiful whine that cut through Gold like a knife.

Gold had known Silver for years, and as long as he'd known him, the redhead had treated his Pokemon poorly, forcing them to battle, all the while berating them for not being strong enough. Yet Feraligatr, the Pokemon that had dealt with Silver's coldness the longest, truly did not want to leave him. In fact, the very thought was reducing the poor Pokemon to anxiety-induced tears.

Silver raised his hand and ran it gently down Feraligatr's neck, and Gold was then doubly shocked to see red patches painting Silver's cheeks and a misty glaze appear over his eyes. Gold's heart pounded harder and his fists clenched tightly. What had happened to Silver over the past five years? He looked almost the same, had the same snarky attitude, but apart from that, he was nothing like the man Gold had come to know. The man Gold remembered would never have shed tears at the prospect of one of his Pokemon leaving him, and yet here he was, doing that very thing.

The silence that followed was deafening, but, thankfully, Professor Elm broke it by saying, "Young man, it shows great character that you came back to return Feraligatr to me. However, it is obvious to me that you have treated it well, and-"

"No," Silver interrupted before his eyes fell, dejected, to the floor, "I haven't. Not always."

Professor Elm paused briefly before he took a few steps closer and turned to look at Feraligatr, "Well, then Feraligatr's reaction proves that you learned from that mistake. It does not want to leave you, and I would never dream of taking a Pokemon away from the trainer it loves and who loves it back. Continue to treat Feraligatr with the same kindness and I will consider the debt paid."

Professor Elm's reaction did not surprise Gold in the slightest. As long as he'd known the Professor, the old man had always shown an unrivaled compassion toward Pokemon and their trainers. Silver's reaction, though,  _did_  surprise him. The redhead actually smiled, something Gold had never seen him do before, and he turned to Feraligatr. The Pokemon's eyes lit up and it threw its massive arms around Silver, pulling the much smaller man into a bear hug.

It was at that point that Gold decided he'd intruded into Silver's business more than enough, so he ducked away from the window and moved silently back toward his house. When he walked inside, he found his mother sitting in her recliner with an annoyed look on her face and her arms crossed.

Before she was able to scold him, he said, "Sorry, mom. I had to check on something."

Her eyebrows ran slightly together, "You thought that young man was off to steal another Pokemon, didn't you?"

He wasn't going to bother to deny it because there was no point. He'd never been a good liar, and even if he was, he knew his mother would see through it with no trouble. So he simply nodded and took a seat on the couch.

She gave him a stern look and said, "I  _know_  I didn't raise you to be judgemental, young man."

He felt his cheeks heat up at her words and his eyes hit the floor. "You're right, Mom. I'm sorry."

She turned her attention back to her laptop before saying, " _I'm_  not the one who needs an apology, Gold."

The heat in his cheeks grew more intense and his shoulders tensed. Of course he knew she was right. He was going to have to apologize to Silver for eavesdropping, but right then, another fact was far more prominent in his mind.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees before saying, "He's completely different than I remember him. Hell, I barely  _recognize_  him now."

His mother grinned and didn't take her eyes off of her laptop screen when she answered, "Did it never occur to you that something might have changed over the past five years? People  _do_ change, dear."

It hadn't occurred to him, and the thought left a bad taste in his mouth. He remembered his own words, probably just as well as Silver did.

_You're not as bad as you think you are._

He'd been the one to tell Silver that, but his first instinct when he saw Silver again was to assume the worst of him. How hypocritical of him to not only conveniently forget his own words, but also disregard their message completely. He made the decision in that moment that he  _would_  apologize to Silver the next time he saw him. If the redhead was truly changed for the better, he owed him that much.

* * *

A loud booming sound echoing through the night air pulled Gold out of whatever dream he'd been having. He glanced over at the clock. 3:00 am. After helping his mother up the stairs to her room, he'd stayed awake watching re-runs of his favorite TV shows and he knew he'd fallen asleep around midnight.

What could possibly be going on so late at night to be causing such a ruckus? He sat up and listened, wondering if he was going to hear the sound again. It took several seconds, but he heard it again, only this time, it sent a chill through his body. He knew that sound. He'd heard it several times when dealing with Team Rocket. It was a gunshot.

He lept out of his bed and bolted to the hallway, where he found his mother standing at her bedroom door. Their eyes met, and she said, "Did you hear that?"

He nodded. "I'm gonna go see what's going on."

She followed close behind him, "All right."

Moving as quietly as he could, he approached the living room window and peeked out, searching for any signs of movement. At first, he saw nothing, but then he heard what sounded like a pained grunt. He followed the sound and had to stifle a gasp when he saw Silver struggling against three men who were attempting to drag him toward an old warehouse that had been sitting, unused, in the town for decades. It was dark, but he could just barely make out red Rs on the sleeves of the men dragging Silver.

His teeth ground together and he immediately dove toward the couch, reaching under it for what he knew was there. His mother had since come down the stairs and was standing only a few feet away. Gold wrapped his fingers around the cool handle of a shotgun and pulled it out from under the couch. He opened it to make sure it was loaded, and dashed to the kitchen to dig an ammo box out of one of the cabinets.

"Gold!?" his mother said, "What's going on!? What are you doing!?"

He placed several shells in the pockets of his pants and answered, "Stay here and call the police, Mom. I just saw three Rockets drag Silver off into that old warehouse. I have to help him."

He could see from the look in her eyes that she wanted to argue with him, but she also knew it was pointless. So she placed a hand on his, and said, "Please be careful, dear."

He threw her a quick grin before rushing out of the front door, making sure to lock it behind him. Risking his life to save Silver. This was  _not_  how he'd pictured his night going.

* * *

Well, Silver was in one hell of a mess now.

When the Rockets had first stopped him outside of his hotel room, he knew there was going to be trouble. He'd hoped by grabbing one of their guns that he could turn the tides, but he only managed to get off two shots into the ground before they wrestled him to the ground and took the gun right back. Now here he was, being dragged, handcuffed, into a warehouse.

Once inside, two of the Rockets brought him over to a metal hook hanging from the ceiling. They raised his arms and placed the chain of the handcuffs inside the hook, preventing him from moving very far. As a secondary measure, however, they bound his feet together at the ankles with a short length of rope. Once they seemed to be satisfied, the two of them backed off, and the third Rocket approached.

He grinned and Silver recognized his blue eyes and dark hair right before he said, "I told you we'd be the last friendly Rockets you saw. You should have listened."

Silver was in no mood to deal with the obnoxious man, so he smirked right before spitting directly into the man's left eye. The man flinched and released an angry snarl. He covered his left eye with one hand while he used the other one to throw a punch into Silver's cheek. Silver made no sound, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction.

While the man was clearing out his eye, he sneered, "You stupid brat! Do you have absolutely  _no_ comprehension of the situation you're in!?"

Silver rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. Besides me, the  _only_  person who has the information you want is my dad, and if you were able to get your slimy hands on him, you wouldn't have bothered with me. That means I'm your only hope, which also means that you can't kill me."

The rocket's eyebrows ran together, and Silver couldn't help but be amused at the man's expense. The three thugs had clearly underestimated their target. Typical arrogance, the same arrogance that led to his father's downfall. The rocket turned his back and held his hand out to one of his associates. The largest of the three men reached into a pack he had hanging from his shoulder and drew out something that made Silver's eyes widen: a black blowtorch.

The blue-eyed rocket signaled to the other two and said, "Cut his shirt off."


	3. The Rescue

Gold moved as quickly as he could while also remaining silent, and when he reached the side of the warehouse, he ducked slightly to avoid the windows. With the shotgun gripped tightly in his hands he moved slowly along until he turned the corner and the door was in sight. He approached it silently and took the knob. He gently tried to turn it, but it was locked.

He decided he was going to have to try looking for a back door, but he was stopped by a bone-chilling noise that sent his heart to racing. It was a pained, guttural scream echoing from inside the warehouse. Silver? What were they doing to him? Gold's eyes widened and he shot to his feet, no longer concerned with being heard or seen. He aimed the shotgun directly at the door lock and squeezed the trigger. The buckshot ripped through the thin wooden door and he kicked it open.

What he saw when the door opened made his stomach turn. There was Silver, hanging by his wrists, with a Rocket wielding a blowtorch standing in front of him. Two more Rockets stood to the left. A puffy, red and white burn trailed from between Silver's collarbones down to the center of his chest.

Gold's eyebrows ran together, he cocked the gun, and he pointed it at the other two Rockets, not wanting to risk hitting Silver. "Get the hell away from him! Now!"

Silver's head raised and Gold heard his weakened voice say, "Gold?"

The Rocket holding the blowtorch smirked and lowered the weapon before turning to face Gold. He didn't move away from Silver, however, and instead stood behind the redhead, snaking one of his hands around to grasp Silver's neck. His other hand still held the blowtorch, so he raised it so that the burning tip was right next to Silver's face. He pushed the button on the back and the short flame shot out of the tip, causing Silver to flinch and move his face away slightly. Gold's teeth gritted and he had to stop himself from charging forward, the other two Rockets be damned.

The Rocket holding Silver continued to smirk as he said, "Shotguns are big, scary weapons, but they're not that great for precise aiming, are they?"

Gold knew that the Rocket was just trying to push his buttons, so he forced himself to keep a cool head and answered, "No, but I don't need to shoot you. Give it about two minutes and the police will be here to do that for me."

The smirk fell from the blue-eyed Rocket's face and he glanced at his two associates. Nervous expressions painted both of their faces, so Gold knew what they were thinking. The blue-eyed Rocket lowered the blowtorch and let it fall to the floor, seemingly having realized that he'd been had. He made some kind of hand signal toward the other two, and they both turned, heading toward what was presumably the back door.

Gold kept the gun trained on them until they were out of sight. When the blue-eyed Rocket took a few steps in the same direction, however, Gold fired a shot right at his feet, causing the Rocket to leap a foot in the air. The angry Rocket glared intensely at Gold as he cocked the weapon again.

Gold kept the gun pointed at the Rocket when he said, "The key to the cuffs."

The glare remained firmly on the Rocket's face as he fished the key out of his pocket and tossed it toward Gold. It landed at Gold's feet, and Gold said, "Now you and your buddies stay the hell away from him."

The blue-eyed Rocket's smirk returned to his face and he answered, "Don't get cocky."

He then turned to Silver and sneered, "Next time, lover boy won't be there to protect you."

Since the Rocket didn't seem to be getting the picture, Gold fired another shot, this time just past the man's head. The Rocket flinched and stumbled backwards, nearly losing his footing.

Gold cocked the gun again and took several steps closer to the Rocket, "I'm  _not_  fucking around! Stay away from him or I  _will_  kill you!"

The Rocket snarled, and he looked like he was about to respond when the sound of police sirens began to echo through the air. Gold smirked and said, "Run along, now."

After throwing one more glare in Gold's direction, the Rocket took off out of the door his buddies left through while Gold placed the shotgun down. He took the key and rushed to Silver's side before hastily unlocking the cuffs holding him. With his feet still bound, Silver was unable to stand properly and nearly toppled to the floor. Gold's arms gripping him about the shoulders stopped him, however, and the dark-haired man gently lowered Silver to the floor. After fumbling to untie the rope, Gold held out a hand and helped Silver to his feet.

Once he was steady, Silver said, "What the hell were you thinking? They could have shot you."

Gold grinned and said, "That's gratitude, for you."

He almost laughed when he saw Silver's cheeks go red. The redhead turned his face away and muttered, "Thanks, Gold."

Gold, strangely, found himself blushing as well, and he also turned his head as he stammered,"Y-Yeah. No problem."

An awkward silence fell between them, and it was only broken when a low-pitched, scratchy voice said, "Gold?"

Gold turned toward the voice and found a man he knew well standing in the door of the warehouse. He head greying hair and a bushy beard as well as a gold badge attached to his black police uniform. Gold nodded at him and said, "Sheriff."

The Sheriff took a few steps inside, took one look at Silver, and asked, "What happened here, son?"

Gold was more than happy for the distraction and walked outside with the Sheriff to give his full statement. Silver, after being given a jacket by one of the rookie officers, stood by, and only spoke when asked a direct question. When they were finally done, Silver looked like he was ready to collapse from exhaustion, and Gold wasn't too far off.

He placed a hand on Silver's shoulder and said, "Come on, Silver. You're staying with us tonight."

The shock that painted Silver's face in those few seconds nearly set Gold to laughing out loud. The redhead backed away a couple of steps and said, "N-No. I can't..."

Gold wasn't going to let him walk away, however, and took him by his left bicep before dragging him along, "You can and you will, because if you don't, my mom is going to ring my neck."

It wasn't a complete lie. His mom  _would_  scold him if he didn't at least invite Silver over, but he was far more concerned with the redhead's safety. The Rockets had escaped, and there was no guarantee that the police would catch them. He wasn't about to risk leaving Silver alone, just in case they came back. And Silver, it seemed, was too drained to argue, as he followed along without further protest.

Gold knocked on the front door of his house and called out, "It's me, Mom."

His mom came to the door and opened it quickly, a look of relief painting her face. She glanced at both men, but her gaze halted on Silver. Gold watched her eyes fall to the opening of the blue jacket, where the blow-torch burn was clearly visible. She held a hand out to him and said, "Come inside, dear. We'll get that burn taken care of."

Gold grinned at his mother's unrelenting hospitality, and followed her and Silver inside. She ordered Gold to pull out the sofa bed before rushing off to the kitchen and digging through the medicine cabinet. Gold did as he was told, and then glanced over at Silver, who looked more uncomfortable than he'd ever seen him look. Gold couldn't help but be amused at his expense, and as he was straightening up the bed, his mother came back into the living room. In one hand, she held burn heal, in the other was a bottle of aloe vera.

She looked at Silver and motioned over to the bed as she said, "Lie down, dear. This will only take a minute."

Silver glanced, briefly, in Gold's direction, as if asking for permission. Gold nodded, and Silver hesitantly did as he was told. As Gold's mother knelt down next to the bed, she looked at Gold and said, "Gold, go upstairs and bring him one of your button-up shirts. He'll need something to wear besides this jacket."

Silver's face went red again, and he shifted in the bed, obviously becoming more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. The redhead was clearly not accustomed to anyone being so kind to him. Gold couldn't stop himself from smiling again before he headed upstairs to find a shirt. He chose a black one, and when he came back down, he found his mom dabbing bits of aloe vera on Silver's burn. As Gold approached, he saw one of Silver's eyes twitch. He was clearly in a bit of pain, but he was desperately holding back from making this fact known.

Gold's mother finished what she was doing and stood, smiling down at Silver as she said, "We keep the aloe vera in the refrigerator, Silver, so if you need to use it again, that's where you'll find it."

Silver gave a nervous nod and said, "Th-Thanks, Ms..."

She giggled lightly, "Oh dear, no. Just call me Miranda."

He nodded awkwardly. "Thanks, Miranda."

Miranda then turned and walked past Gold, running a hand over his shoulder as she went and saying, "Don't stay up all night, young man. You have an early day tomorrow."

Gold nodded. "Good night, Mom."

As his mother headed toward the stairs, Gold approached Silver and tossed him the black shirt. Silver caught it and mumbled, "Thanks."

Moving slowly, Silver sat up and slid the jacket off of his arms. He turned and draped it over the back of the couch, and in those couple of seconds, Gold's eyes ran over the muscles on his back and arms, resting on his shoulders. Had they always been so broad?

Right as Silver turned back around, Gold realized he was staring too long and averted his eyes, turning instead to grab one of the chairs from the dining room table. He dragged it over beside the sofa bed and sat down. Silver buttoned the shirt up to the burn, leaving it uncovered, which was the smart thing to do. The last thing he needed was the fabric sticking to the burn.

Once he was done, he wound his fingers together and said, "I really shouldn't be here, Gold."

Gold crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, "Well, tough. I'm not letting you stay anywhere on your own tonight. Besides, if they're dumb enough to come back, the shotgun is back under the couch. You can just shoot them."

Gold saw the bafflement appear on Silver's face before he chuckled and said, "I can't believe  _you_ , of all people, are so comfortable with the idea of shooting someone."

Gold shrugged his shoulders. "I told you there's a lot you don't know about me."

Silver's lips curled into a half smile, "Well, then why don't you educate me?"

Gold raised an eyebrow. The last thing he'd expected was for Silver to start asking him questions about his past. But, if he really wanted to know, there was no reason Gold couldn't tell him.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees before saying, "My dad was in the military. He started teaching me how to use guns when I was a kid. After he died, I suppose I just kept learning, more out of habit than anything."

He glanced at Silver, and in the fleeting second that their eyes met, he could see more questions behind Silver's. He said nothing, however, and Gold felt compelled to ask him, "What about you? Guns don't seem to bother you much, either."

To Gold's surprise, Silver chuckled lightly and an amused grin painted his face. Gold grinned back and asked, "What? Am I missing something?"

Silver shook his head and leaned back against a couch cushion. "It's just obvious that I've never told you who my dad is."

His dad? Gold had never even thought to inquire about Silver's family. Silver now knew about his dad AND his mom, but Gold knew nothing about Silver's parents. Hoping he didn't come off sounding too eager, he asked, "Who's your dad?"

The discomfort he had seen on Silver's face earlier returned, and he almost regretted asking the question. Silver  _had_  been the one to bring it up, however. There were a few seconds of tense silence before Silver said, "Giovanni."

Gold's eyes widened, and his heart beat just a little bit faster. He almost wanted to ask if Silver was joking, but when he saw the serious look in his grey eyes, he knew he was serious. But, just to be certain, Gold asked, " _The_  Giovanni?"

Silver's shoulders tensed, and he nodded. The discomfort was gone from his face now. In its place was shame. He was ashamed of his own parentage, something Gold had never experienced before. Although, the fact that Silver was raised by a man like Giovanni explained a lot. No wonder Silver turned to a life of crime and cruelty. It was probably all he'd known.

This raised another question, however, so Gold asked, "Is that why those Rockets were after you? Did you dad do something to piss off Team Rocket."

Silver chuckled again, this time sarcastically. "I wish it was something that simple."

The redhead sighed and crossed his arms before pausing temporarily, as if to gather his thoughts. He kept his eyes averted when he went on, "There's this room. It's a hidden room that my dad keeps a lot of really important stuff in. Some of it is just things that have sentimental value for him, but some of the other things aren't so harmless."

The tension in the room escalated as Silver's discomfort rose even more. This was clearly something that he didn't like talking about, but Gold was far too curious to ask him to stop now.

The redhead cleared his throat and went on, "He told me about the place when he first disbanded Team Rocket. Told me where it was, and how it get into it. No one else was supposed to know about it, but he wanted me to know, I guess as some kind of legacy bullshit or something."

The pieces were starting to fall into place, so Gold asked, "But other Rockets found out about its existence."

Silver nodded. "Now they want to find out where it is so they can have what's inside."

Well that explained what the Rockets were after. Now Gold found himself curious as to the "why" of the whole situation, so he asked, "What's in there that's so important?"

Silver shook his head. "I'm not going to say, Gold. I'm sorry. You've already been put in danger because of that place. I'm not giving the Rockets any excuse to go after you."

Silver's words sent a wave of warmth through Gold's chest. Never, in all of his days, did he imagine Silver would actively try to protect him from anything. His concern was appreciated, though, so Gold wasn't about to question him about it. There was something Gold  _was_  going to question Silver about, however.

Trying not to sound overly-concerned, Gold asked, "So if they're after you now...are you going to be okay living on your own? What if they come after you later?"

He saw red patches appear on Silver's cheeks, and the redhead turned his face. All of Silver's reactions to the kindness he was being shown were really starting to bother Gold. It was incredibly tragic that he'd presumably been shown so little kindness in his life that he was shocked or embarrassed when he received it.

Silver turned back, and the red patches were gone when he answered, "Team Rocket doesn't have the resources to do what it pleases anymore. That's why they want that room so badly. If I had to guess, tonight was a test run to see what they could get away with in a small town. They got caught, so there's no way they're gonna come after me at home. Not only is Olivine a big city, but I live right across the street from the police station. They'd be idiots to try anything there. As long as I stay close to civilization, I should be okay."

Gold didn't like the use of the words "should be," but when you have a criminal organization after you (no matter how small) "should be" is probably the best you're going to get.

Glancing over at the clock, Gold groaned when he saw the time was 4:00 a.m. He had to be up in three hours, so he stood and brought the chair back over to the dining room table before returning to the living room. He went straight to the living room closet and plucked out a blanket along with two pillows. He handed all three of the items to Silver and said, "Well, try to get some sleep, Silver. My mom will try to keep it down when she gets up, but she's unbelievably clumsy."

Silver chuckled in response and began adjusting the pillows and blanket to his liking. "Good night, Gold."

Gold nodded. "Night, Silver."


	4. The First Barbecue

Silver discovered that Gold hadn't been exaggerating when he said Miranda was clumsy because he found himself being awakened later that morning by bustling coming from the kitchen. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and climbed out of the bed, temporarily wobbling after getting light-headed due to standing up too fast. As he walked closer to the kitchen, he could hear the sound of boiling water, and when he pushed the kitchen door, he found Gold standing next to Miranda at the kitchen counter.

Miranda was chopping potatoes while Gold did the same with hard-boiled eggs and pickles. They both heard him enter and turned at the same time. Miranda smiled like she always did and said, "Good morning, dear. How are you feeling?"

Silver attempted to smile back and answered, "I-I'm fine."

Her smile widened. "Good. Then do you think you'd be up for staying for the barbecue?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Barbecue?"

"Yeah," Gold said. "That's what we're getting ready for. She invited a bunch of people from town, and they always come because they love her potato salad."

Miranda playfully elbowed Gold. "They love your barbecue as well, dear. But Mrs. Elm's pies always steal the show."

Silver said nothing and simply stood by while the two of them continued on. Was this was it was like to have an actual family? Did you have barbecues for the neighbors and stand around talking about potato salad and pie? The entire situation was odd for him, and he couldn't help feeling like a third wheel. Should he really stay for the food? It would be rude to refuse, especially after Gold had saved his ass the night before and they'd let him stay in their house despite the danger it posed to them. But still...

As Miranda scraped the potatoes into the boiling water, Gold moved to the sink to wash his hands. When he was finished, he took a towel from the counter and dried his hands before approaching Silver.

"Are you staying?" he asked.

Before Silver had even formed a response in his head, his lips moved on their own and he blurted out, "Yeah."

_Wait, what?_

It was too late to take it back now, though, as Gold smiled just as brightly as his mother and said, "Awesome. Would you mind helping me carry out the chairs and stuff?"

Silver cursed his own mind for apparently making a decision he'd never agreed to. Well, if he was committed to this, he might as well be polite. He nodded and followed Gold to a closet with several folded chairs and three fold-out tables leaned against the wall. He helped Gold carry out and set up all of the furniture, and it was at that moment that he noticed the grill sitting near the front door. It was already turned on and warming up, so Silver guessed the barbecue was just about to start.

He found he was right when, after he helped Gold and Miranda carry out the sides and the uncooked meat, people started showing up. The first to arrive was the Sheriff they'd met the night before. Holding his hand was a small girl and walking next to him was a woman around his age. She carried a glass dish which Silver eventually saw was filled with fruit salad. As the woman went to one of the empty tables to put the salad down, the Sheriff approached with his daughter and started chatting with Gold. Silver stood by the grill, listening.

"I wish we could say we caught those sons-of-bitches, but they got away," the Sheriff said.

As annoyed as it made him, Silver couldn't say he was surprised by the news. Team Rocket had always been good at evading capture. It's how they stayed in business for so many years. Well, that and Giovanni's leadership.

Gold had long since loaded up the grill with burger patties and hot dogs, and he flipped a couple of them before answering, "Well, it didn't help that I gave them a head start."

The Sheriff shook his head. "You did the right thing, son. You had  _that_  one to worry about."

The older man motioned his head in Silver's direction, and Silver felt the heat in his cheeks. He wasn't sure he'd ever get over the embarrassment of being so easily captured by those ridiculous Rockets.

Gold grinned and continued flipping burgers, "Yeah, suppose you're right."

The Sheriff then turned his attention to Silver and asked, "You doin' all right, son?"

Silver wanted to groan aloud at the question. Was everyone who showed up going to ask him that? His shoulders tensed and he was about to force out an answer when Gold suddenly said, "He's fine. He said so this morning."

The Sheriff looked like he was about to say something else, but the sound of his wife's voice calling him from across the yard yanked his attention away. The little girl standing next to him slipped out of his grip and started running toward her mother, and the older man smiled before saying, "Welp, the old ball and chain is calling."

He then waved and followed his daughter. Silver thought, then, that they might get a break from small talk, but he was sadly mistaken as Professor Elm and his wife approached next. The older woman carried a tray with three freshly-baked pies on them. The smell on them was so powerful that they overpowered the smell of the cooking meat and made Silver's mouth water. He hadn't realized until this moment how hungry he was.

Professor Elm greeted Gold before walking with his wife to drop off the pies. However, no sooner had they left did another person come bounding toward Gold. Silver had to take a step back to avoid being plowed as a blue-haired woman launched herself at Gold and wrapped her arms around his neck. He stumbled temporarily, nearly burning his hand on the grill, but, in typical Gold fashion, he didn't get angry and simply put on his doofy grin as he said, "Crystal."

He turned to face her and she hugged him again, gentler this time. When she pulled away, she smirked and said, "Oooooh.  _Someone's_  been working out. I felt those muscles. Who are  _you_ trying to impress?"

Gold grinned and rolled his eyes before turning back to the food. She stayed at his side, however, and said, "So what gives? You guys have a barbecue and don't even send me an invite? I am  _offended_."

Gold chuckled. "As if you needed an invitation. I knew you'd smell the food and come running."

Crystal smiled in response. She then hooked her right arm around his left one and leaned her head on his shoulder, "Awwww. You know me so well."

As Silver watched the two of them continue to interact, he couldn't say he was surprised to see that Gold had a girlfriend. He'd always been such a damn people person. It was no wonder he'd managed to land himself a hot, charming woman. As if Silver needed more reasons to envy the cheerful S.O.B. The happy couple were interrupted, however, when Miranda called for Gold from across the yard. Gold asked Crystal to watch the food for him, and took off to see what she needed, leaving Silver alone with the blue-haired woman.

She didn't miss a beat, and said, "That looks like it hurts."

She motioned toward the burn that was still exposed by his shirt not being buttoned all the way. He'd been wary of covering it, still fearful of the cloth sticking to the burnt flesh.

He shrugged his shoulders and leaned against the side of the house, "Could have been worse."

She picked up a couple of the finished burgers and hot dogs to place them on paper plates, "True. Thank god for Gold's shotgun."

As embarrassing as the whole situation continued to make him, he made a mental note to thank Gold again for helping him. Silver knew, after all the shit he'd put Gold through, that the last thing he had deserved was for Gold to bust in with a shotgun and save him from the Rockets.

However, he wanted to steer the conversation away from what had happened the night before, so he asked, "Speaking of Gold, how long have you two been a thing?"

She plated a few more burgers and hot dogs before giving him a baffled look. She reached the tongs over to grab a few more hot dogs and asked, "You're joking, right?"

He raised an eyebrow. Had he been mistaken? It had seemed pretty obvious to him that they were a couple. Why else would she be flirting with him and hanging all over him like a pining girlfriend? So he shrugged his shoulders again, hopefully showing her his own confusion.

She giggled softly and said, "I'm not exactly his type. I'm missing a few parts...and I've got a couple of extras."

Her eyes fell down to her own chest, and Silver had to resist following her gaze. The last thing he needed to be doing was checking out her breasts. But wait...missing a few parts? Got a couple of extras? Did that mean...?

His surprise must've been evident because Crystal said, "Oh. You really didn't know?"

A twinge of guilt struck Silver as Gold's words echoed in his ears.

_I told you there's a lot you don't know about me._

He truly knew nothing about him. They'd known each other for over half a decade and he didn't know something as simple as Gold being gay. Had Gold not saved his life the night before, Silver might not have felt so guilty about his own ignorance. However, now that he was so grateful, every reminder of his former cruelty toward Gold left a bad taste in his mouth.

Lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed that Crystal was staring at him with a look on her face that he couldn't read. As soon as their eyes met, however, he felt the awkwardness of the silence and blurted out, "Well, then growing up in a small town like this must've sucked for him."

Crystal scoffed and turned her attention back to the food. "You have no idea. There was only one other gay man in the entire town and, well... let's just say that didn't end well for Gold."

While Silver was curious about what she meant, he could also gather that she was being intentionally vague. She probably figured it wasn't her story to tell. Even though it wasn't  _his_ baggage Crystal was protecting, Silver was still grateful to her, nonetheless. It meant she was a good friend to Gold, and she could be trusted.

Their conversation was stopped, however, when Gold returned to finish the food. It didn't take him long to finish the few remaining burgers and dogs, and when he finished, he placed all of the cooked food on the table with the sides. The about two dozen people there formed a line and started making their plates. Silver followed suit, but once he was out of the line, he realized the barbecue had reached the point that he hated: the part where everyone started mingling. He'd never been very good at mingling. He scanned the yard for the only person he knew: Gold, but the younger man was busy chatting up an old lady with her dog, so he decided not to interfere.

He looked around and noticed that Gold's house was quite close to the river that connected New Bark Town to the Kanto region. Deciding the riverside was as good a place as any to sit, he grabbed one of the fold-out chairs and a water bottle before walking to the edge of the water. The river was mostly steady, but an occasional boat driving by would push small waves onto the shore, and the calming sound made him immediately relax. He took a bite of the potato salad and figured out that Gold hadn't been joking about the quality of it. He couldn't say he'd eaten the stuff very often, but it had always been out of a box he'd bought from the grocery. Having it homemade certainly made a difference.

He was about to take a bite of his burger when a familiar voice said, "Figures I'd find you brooding in the corner all by yourself."

Silver turned and found Gold holding a plate and a fold-out chair, which he promptly put down a few feet from Silver. As Gold sat down with his plate, Silver quipped back, "I have an image to maintain, Gold. Can't let people believe I'm too social."

They both laughed before Silver finally took a bite of the burger. Again, he was surprised. Most of the time, when he tasted a burger that came off a grill, it was dry and needed five pounds of ketchup for it to taste good, but not this time. Gold and Miranda were, evidently, two of a kind when it came to cooking.

Washing his food down with some water, Silver asked, "You guys do this kind of thing often?"

Gold had to swallow a mouth full of his food before he was able to answer, "Yeah. Mom insists on it. If we were rich, we'd be flying her all over the world, taking her to visit national monuments, and getting her a spa treatment in every big city between here and Alola. But we're not rich, so she does what she can to make the most of her...time."

The word "time" seemed to spit from Gold's mouth like poison, and Silver felt another pang of guilt. He hadn't meant to remind Gold about something he was probably trying very hard to keep his mind off of. But the band-aid had already been ripped off, so he figured there was no putting it back on now.

Looking down at his plate, Silver asked, "Do you know how long she has?"

Gold's eyes became downcast, and all of the color drained from his face. His plate trembled in his hand as he said, "Maybe a year..."

Now that the question had been answered, Silver wished he'd never asked it in the first place because now he had no idea what to say, no more than he did when he first found out that Miranda was dying. So he did the only thing he could think to do. He looked at Gold and said, "I'm sorry."

Gold didn't answer at first and during the silence that followed he took a quick drink of a water bottle he'd brought with him. Some of the water dribbled down his chin, so he wiped it off with his sleeve and said, "Sorry, but, can we talk about something else?"

He figured Gold was going to ask that, and after seeing his reaction to this part of the conversation, Silver wasn't about to argue. So he asked, "Like what?"

Some of the light returned to Gold's eyes and he managed to put on a small smile. He looked away, however, when he said, "You tried to give it back..."

It took a few seconds for Silver to work out what Gold was talking about, but when he did, he also turned away. How had Gold found out about that? He'd specifically asked Professor Elm not to tell anyone he'd been there, and the old man didn't seem like a gossip. His whole body tensed when he asked, "How did you know?"

He turned back to Gold in time to see the younger man scratch the back of his head nervously and say, "I kinda...followed you."

At first, Silver couldn't imagine Gold's reasoning for doing that, but it became painfully obvious to him when he thought back. He smirked and said, "You thought I was gonna try to steal another Pokemon."

He'd never seen Gold's face redder than it was in the seconds that followed that statement. The hand Gold had used to scratch his head came around and covered his eyes as he said, "I'm sorry. I never should have thought that."

Silver couldn't have been angry if he wanted to. Gold's worries weren't exactly unfounded, after all. He shook his head and answered, "It's okay. It's my own damn fault for getting such a bad reputation in the first place."

Gold finally manage to take another bite of his food and asked, "So what happened?"

Swallowing a bite of his own food quickly, Silver said, "What do you mean?"

"You know," Gold said, "What caused you to do a complete 180?"

Silver knew the answer well, but the question still set his nerves to the max. Lance had helped with the decision, but the one to  _truly_  convince him to change was the man sitting next to him. Since his father was defeated by Red, Silver maintained that he would never let himself be so weak. And, for years, he thought the only way to be strong was to do whatever it took no matter the consequences. Then Gold came along, with his stupid grin and his Cyndaquil, and beat him every time. But he wasn't cruel like Silver. He wasn't obsessed with power. He didn't "do whatever it took." It took a long time, but Gold, whether he knew it or not, had convinced Silver to walk a different path.

Hoping to let Gold know this without sounding too syrupy, he said, "Well, this guy with a doofy-ass grin glued to his face once told me, " _You're not as bad as you think you are_.""

Gold seemed to be caught completely off guard by Silver's statement as the burger dropped from his hand, bounced off the plate, and landed in the dirt. His face also turned three more shades of red before he seemed to scramble to collect himself. He smirked playfully and said, "Sounds like a smart guy."

Silver chuckled softly. Of course he'd make a joke about it. The man was so insufferably good with people.

"Gold! Silver!" came Miranda's voice from behind them. "We're opening up the desserts! You two had better get over here!"

At the same time, Gold and Silver looked down at their plates and laughed again. They'd gotten so wrapped up in talking, neither of them had even finished the food they already had. So they both shoveled the rest of their food in their mouths as quickly as they could before heading over to the dessert table. They stood near the rest of the guests as Miranda came toward the table carrying two large tubs of ice cream.

Silver glanced in her direction and their eyes met just in time for him to notice the little color that was left in her face drain completely. Her next step, she wobbled, and he was at her side faster than he knew he could move. In one swift motion, he grasped her around the shoulders to stop her from falling and took both ice cream tubs by their handles with his other hand.

He figured she wouldn't want him to make a scene, so his eyes found Gold and he whispered, "Gold!"

The younger man turned around, and his face wilted before he rushed to Miranda's side as well. Silver saw Crystal emerge from the crowd, carrying a chair, which she promptly placed behind Miranda. Gold helped Miranda into the chair while Silver placed the two tubs of ice cream on the dessert table near the waiting neighbors who had, thankfully, not noticed anything was amiss.

Crystal bent down and asked, "Miranda, where's the rest of the ice cream? I'll go get it."

Miranda weakly threw a thumb over her shoulder and said, "Inside the deep freeze, dear. There should only be two more left."

Crystal nodded and took off into the house while Gold knelt down in front of Miranda and asked, "Mom, are you okay?"

Of course, she smiled and said, "I'm fine, honey. I just got light-headed for a second."

She then looked past Gold and her eyes met Silver's again. He could see it in her eyes that it was much worse than she was letting on. Some part of her, probably her head considering the type of cancer, was in severe pain, but he still said nothing. She was clearly trying to protect Gold, and he wasn't going to interfere with that.

"Well," Gold said, "Regardless, you need to take it easy. I'll bring you a plate. Just tell me what you want."

She asked for a slice of cherry pie and vanilla ice cream before Gold headed to the table to gather what she'd asked for. With Gold out of earshot, Silver stepped closer and lowered his voice when he asked, "How bad is it?"

She shook her head, seemingly not wanting to answer. Instead, she said, "Blackberry pie and neopolitan."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She sighed heavily. "If I know Gold, this is gonna stop him from wanting to make his own plate, so you'll have to make it for him. His favorite pie is blackberry and he likes neopolitan ice cream."

His chest stung at her words. She almost passed out in the middle of the yard, she was clearly in an immense amount of pain, and yet she wasn't thinking about herself at all. Her every thought was on Gold. As terrible as it was, in those moments he added Miranda to the list of things he was jealous of Gold for. He'd never known the love of a parent that cared for their child that much.

So, to honor her wishes, he said, "Okay."

Gold came back, and the smile instantly returned to Miranda's face as he handed her a plate with the food she'd asked for. She thanked Gold and, just as she predicted, Gold walked away, right past the dessert table, and toward the house. Silver looked at Miranda, who gave him a look that said, "What'd I tell you?" Silver then turned toward the dessert table and saw Crystal drop off the ice cream before heading over to where Gold was standing. Figuring she probably wanted a minute with Gold anyway, Silver went ahead and got in line to make the plates.

He filled Gold's plate with what Miranda had suggested and made his own plate with blueberry pie and chocolate ice cream as well as a bit of fruit salad on the side. Once he was out of line, he started walking slowly toward Gold and Crystal, not wanting to show up too soon just in case they were still talking. Crystal, however, started to walk away and passed by him, a deeply troubled look on her face. Whatever she'd done to try to cheer him up clearly hadn't been successful.

He finally approached Gold and held the plate out to him. Gold gave him a questioning look, and Silver said, "Miranda..."

"Of course," Gold answered as he took the plate and sat down with his back against the side of the house.

Silver decided to sit down across from Gold and started to poke at his food with his plastic fork. Gold, however, wasn't even doing that much. He'd left the plate abandoned on the grass next to him.

Hoping to at least get Gold talking, Silver asked, "Does she do that often?"

Gold sighed. "More than she used to, and it only gets worse as she progresses."

Silver prodded at one of the marshmallows inside the fruit salad, unsure of what to say. He'd already said "I'm sorry," so he didn't want to say that again. It had sounded cheap enough the first two times he'd said it.

Luckily, Gold was the one to break the silence this time, and said, "She doesn't like me dwelling on the fact that she's dying, but when stuff like this happens, it's hard to keep ignoring it."

The more Gold revealed about how much his mother's illness was effecting him, the more powerless Silver felt, and he didn't like it. He'd always seen Gold as this paragon of purity, as someone who embodied everything Silver wasn't. To know that such a tragedy was tainting his life made Silver want to do something to alleviate his pain.

He knew, though, that there was nothing he could do, so he stabbed his fork into the pie and said, "I wish I had some kind of advice to give you, but I wouldn't even know where to start, to be honest. I never even  _had_  a mom, so..."

Gold seemed to force a small grin when he said, "Don't worry about it. There's nothing anyone can say. It's enough that you came to sit with me."

The fact that he'd smiled at all gave Silver some hope, so he glanced over at Gold's plate, which was still sitting in the grass and said, "Your ice cream is gonna melt."

Gold looked at the plate too, and smiled, brighter this time, before picking it up. The two of them finished their dessert in silence, and when they threw their plates away, they found people were starting to clear out. The two of them sent several plates home with various guests, and when all of the food was gone, Silver started helping Gold carry things back inside.

During one of their trips back outside, Crystal approached and asked, "Hey, Gold. How's she doing?"

Gold kept a smile on his face, but it was obvious by the tension in the air that the question bothered him. Still, he was friendly when he answered, "She seems to be okay now."

"That's good," she said, "Welp, I better head home. I'll talk to you later, Gold."

Gold nodded and started carrying the two chairs he'd picked up toward the house. Silver picked up two as well, but before he could walk away, Crystal stopped him by gently grasping his bicep. He turned back to her and asked, "You need something?"

She leaned in closer and said, "Not exactly. Just letting you know something. Gold's ex was an ass hole, and he burned Gold really bad. I won't take it easy on you if  _you_  burn him too."

The statement caught Silver so off guard he lost his grip on one of the chairs and it fell onto his foot. He bit through the pain, however, and immediately said, "H-Hang on. That's not...  _We're_  not... Me and Gold aren't...like  _that_."

A knowing look appeared on Crystal's face and she smirked before saying, "Okay."

He didn't like the tone with which she said that. It was heavily sarcastic, which meant she didn't believe him. He wasn't able to say anything more, though, as the blue-haired woman walked away, leaving Silver to stew in the awkwardness she'd just caused. He picked the chair back up and tried to shake the conversation from his mind as he brought the furniture inside. He and Gold managed to pack up everything, and when they were finished, he watched Gold head into the kitchen to wash dishes while Miranda sat in her recliner.

She looked at Silver and asked, "Will you be staying again tonight, dear?"

He had to admit it was an attractive idea. It was a long flight back to Olivine and he'd had a long day, but he also had an early shift at work the next day, so he knew he needed to get home. So he shook his head and said, "Best not overstay my welcome."

She giggled softly. "Well, all right, but you're welcome to come back for a visit whenever you like."

Gold had since come back out of the kitchen, so Silver waved at him, and said, "I'll see you around."

He didn't wait for a response, and turned to leave, only making it a few steps out of the door when he was stopped by a hand grasping his shoulder. He spun back around to find Gold closing the front door. The younger man started fishing around in his pocket and pulled out his Pokegear.

He held it out to Silver and said, "Why don't we trade numbers? That way we can keep in touch?"

Silver felt the heat in his cheeks before he could stop it. Gold was asking for his number? The idea sent Silver right back into that horribly awkward exchange with Crystal. She already thought he was interested in a relationship with Gold, and giving Gold his number would only make that look more true, wouldn't it? He banished the idea from his head. No. That's stupid. Friends trade numbers so that they can keep in touch. This doesn't have to be weird.

Silver pulled out his own Pokegear and handed it to Gold while plucking Gold's from his palm. He put his number into Gold's pokegear and handed it back in time to take his own back as well. For a split second during the switch, Silver felt his hand brush against Gold's, and the awkwardness came right back along with the heat in his cheeks. Damn that girl. She'd made things permanently weird.

Thankfully, Gold didn't seem to notice anything and pocketed his Pokegear before saying, "Call me the next time you're free. We can hang out or something."

Silver didn't want to say anything else for fear of revealing how nervous he was, so he simply nodded and turned to leave, throwing a wave behind him as he went. He heard Gold's front door close, and he knew he was finally in the clear. He breathed a sigh of relief and headed to the hotel to check out.

Once he was done, he stepped back out into the streets and was reaching for a pokeball when a scruffy voice said, "Hey."

Silver turned and came face-to-face with a much larger, slightly taller man. He had short, blonde hair, green eyes, and a tribal tattoo on his shoulder, exposed by the grey wife beater he was wearing. He had no idea who this guy was, but it was clear by the scowl on his face that he wasn't happy.

The brute took a step closer to Silver and said, "You'd better stay the hell away from him."

It wasn't much to go on, but Silver figured out in that moment who he was talking to. Knowing, from Crystal, what kind of person this guy was, Silver smirked and said, "Let me guess. You're the ass hole ex?"

The man snarled and took yet another step closer. Silver didn't flinch or back down, however, and went on, "You don't have any right to decide who Gold spends his time with. He doesn't belong to you or anyone else."

Silver wasn't sure where this protectiveness of Gold was coming from, but it was clearly giving him far more courage than he otherwise might have had when faced with a man of this size. So when the neanderthal slammed his arm into Silver's chest and shoved him against the side of the hotel, Silver still didn't flinch or show any fear, despite the fact that the huge arm holding him was pressing down on his burn.

The man leaned his face in closer to Silver's and said, "I'm serious, you little shit."

Having had enough of the man's bullying, Silver flung his head forward and headbutted the guy right in his nose. The arm released him, and the man stumbled backward, blood starting to drip from his nose.

Silver took a step closer to  _him_  this time and said, "I know. I just don't care."

Another snarl bellowed from the man's throat, and he looked like he was about to charge when a voice coming from their left said, "Is there a problem here, Anthony?"

Silver turned to see the Sheriff from earlier approaching with his hand on his baton. Anthony backed down immediately and said, "No, officer. There's no problem. We were just screwing around."

The Sheriff looked at Silver, and though he didn't speak, he knew what the Sheriff was asking him. He wanted to know if Silver wanted to press charges. Anthony hadn't done much, so Silver figured it was pointless to make the Sheriff work on his day off. He shook his head to indicate his decision, and the Sheriff walked up to Anthony.

"Looks like it's your lucky day, Anthony," the Sheriff said. "Why don't you try staying on the right side of the law, for once?"

Anthony glared at the Sheriff, and then at Silver, before storming off, muttering curses under his breath. The Sheriff then turned back to Silver and said, "Real piece of work, that one. You all right?"

Silver nodded. "Nothing to worry about."

The Sheriff smiled. "I can see that. Nice to see someone stand up to that pile of horse maneur. You did good, son."

The Sheriff then patted Silver on the shoulder before walking away, presumably back to his house. Finally, Silver was able to call out his Crobat and start flying home. This really had been one hell of a long day.

While he was flying, however, he got the idea that he should probably call Gold and let him know what happened with Anthony, just in case the ass hole decided to show up at Gold's house. He fished out his pokegear and dialed Gold's number. It rang twice before Gold's overly-cheery voice said, "Silver? That was fast."

Silver could almost see the doofy-ass grin even though Gold was now miles away. Cutting right to the chase, Silver said, "Gold. I just, uh...ran into your ex."

Gold made no jokes, and instead fell completely silent, which let Silver know that he was angry, very angry. He managed to keep his voice calm, however, when he asked, "What happened?"

"Not much," Silver answered. "He just politely advised me to stay away from you."

Gold scoffed. "So he shoved you into a wall and threatened you?"

The man was clearly Gold's ex. Gold knew him well. Silver sighed and said, "Yeah, pretty much."

Silver could hear the genuine concern in Gold's voice when he asked, "Are you okay?"

Hoping to alleviate any worries Gold might have, Silver answered, "Yeah. After I headbutted him in the nose, he backed off."

He heard Gold laugh, and that instantly made him feel better. He didn't want Gold worrying over him. He had more than enough on his plate already.

Once Gold caught his breath, he said, "Well then I wouldn't worry too much. You stood up to him, and he only likes picking on people who don't fight back."

Silver thought Gold had probably meant for those words to make him feel better, but all they did was add to the anger against Anthony already boiling in Silver's chest. He only picks on people who don't fight back, and Crystal mentioned that Gold's ex had burned him in some way. Those two things made all sorts of terrible scenarios start playing through Silver's head. Just what in the hell had Anthony done to Gold?

After the day they'd had, he didn't figure Gold would appreciate Silver asking such questions, though, so he let the subject drop for now. He could always bring it up later. Keeping the anger from his voice as best he could, Silver said, "All right, well I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Gold said, "Bye, Silver."


	5. The Nervous Chef

Silver still hadn't called even once. It had been two weeks since they'd traded numbers and not even so much as a message. Gold had thought that the two of them had made some progress over the day and a half the redhead had been there, but it seemed like things had gone back to exactly the way they were before, with them never seeing each other. Had the past two days never happened, that idea might not have bothered Gold, but after learning how much Silver had changed, the thought of them remaining distant from each other did not sit well. But he'd never been good at seeking people out, and he was even worse about expressing interest in spending time with someone. So he was in a bit of a fix since neither of them seemed capable of picking up the phone.

He and his mother sat down to dinner later that night, and he was making her plate for her when she suddenly said, "So, you ever plan on calling him?"

He nearly dropped her plate at the sound of the question, but he managed to keep the food where it was. He finished filling the plate and handed it to her before saying, "Eventually..."

She started pushing her food around with her fork, "Why don't I believe you?"

He cleared his throat and started making his own plate, hoping that maybe she would drop the subject. She didn't seem willing to, however, and went on, "You need to start making friends at some point, dear."

"I have friends," he said.

"Oh yeah?" she rebutted. "Who?"

He placed his plate down in front of him and answered, "Well there's...Crystal."

Miranda pushed her bite of food into her left cheek and said, "You know as well as I do that once she leaves for Alola you probably won't see her for years."

Of course he hadn't forgotten about Crystal leaving. In fact, the last time he'd talked to her was the first time she hadn't talked his ear off about the job she was going to be taking in Alola. Pokemon tamer. He almost envied her the opportunity to travel to a new land and meet all sorts of new Pokemon.

Miranda swallowed her food and chased it with water, and when she sat her glass down, her eyes fell to the table. The hand clutching her fork trembled a bit when she said, "I know I've told you not to dwell, and I've tried not to as well, but we both know how much time I have left. I don't want you to be alone. You need someone to-"

"Stop!" Gold exclaimed as he slammed his hand onto the table, causing the entire thing to jolt.

Miranda flinched and placed her hands in her lap, still keeping her eyes downcast. Gold then took the hand he'd hit the table with and brought it up to cover his eyes. He could also feel the heat in his cheeks when he said, "I'm sorry."

His other hand shook wildly, and Miranda reached across the table to take it in both of hers. The touch caused him to drop his other hand from his face and look at her. She had an apologetic look in her eyes when she said, "No, honey.  _I'm_  sorry. I shouldn't be using the fact that I'm dying to push you toward making new friends. That's no basis for starting a friendship. If you really don't want to call him, I won't pressure you."

She squeezed his hand weakly before pulling hers back. She went back to pushing her food around with her fork, and Gold stared down at the table. Figuring asking her for advice wouldn't hurt, he said, "I...want to call him. I just don't know what we could do together. I haven't really hung out with anyone besides Crystal lately and all she ever wants to do is watch TV."

Miranda stabbed a bit of potato with her fork. "Find a movie for the two of you to watch in the theater and cook dinner for him. He seemed to like your barbecue when he was here."

Gold's face went red again and he shook his head. "M-Mom! That sounds too much like a date!"

She gave a sly grin and took a sip of her water. "What's wrong with that? You think I'm the only one who noticed how you were looking at him the whole time he was here?"

The heat in his face intensified. "Mom..."

"I'm just saying," she said, holding her hands up next to her head. "He's a handsome young man, and he seems very sweet. You could definitely do worse."

Gold shook his head again and shakily reached for his water. "I know I could. I  _did_."

Her eyes narrowed. "Now you know that wasn't what I meant."

Of course he knew that, but Anthony was still fresh. They had broken up only a year ago, and after Anthony had accosted Silver, Gold was reminded of how close the ass hole was. He'd kept most of the crap Anthony had put him through secret from Miranda to stop her from worrying, so she had no clue how bad things had really been.

Still, he couldn't deny that she was right about Silver. If someone had told him five years ago that he would find himself having a massive crush on his former rival, he'd have laughed in their faces. Yet here he was. But still, one more thing was bothering him.

"What if...," he said, "What if he's straight?"

Without missing a beat, Miranda answered, "Then you'll just be good friends. Nothing wrong with that."

Good friends? He'd never pictured himself being good friends with Silver, but it wasn't exactly an unattractive idea now that he knew more about him. There weren't a great many people Gold could just sit down and have a conversation with, but there was something about Silver. He felt like he could tell him anything without fear of judgement, a crazy idea considering their past. So he decided, in that moment, yes, he would give this a try. Surely it wasn't too scary of an idea.

"You're right, Mom," he said. "I'll call him after dinner."

* * *

Silver dragged himself through the front door of his apartment and flopped onto the couch. He glanced at the clock and saw that it read 6:00 p.m. He groaned. It felt so much later. His shift at the Pokemart had been changed to a double after his relief called in, so he was ready to fall asleep right where he lay. His eyes fell closed and his body completely relaxed. Yeah. Sleeping out the couch wouldn't kill him.

Unfortunately, the sound of his Pokegear ringing pulled him out of his sleep, right as it started and he shot to a sitting position. He reached into the pocket of his work pants and retrieved the noisy device, praying it wasn't work telling him to come back. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he saw the caller ID read "Gold."

He pushed the answer button and said, "Gold?"

The nervousness was evident in Gold's voice when he said, "H-Hey, Silver."

Silver had been wondering if Gold ever planned on calling. It had, after all, been  _his_  idea to trade numbers in the first place. Well, he'd clearly decided to finally break the silence, so Silver asked him, "What's going on?"

He heard Gold clear his throat before he said, "Oh, um, nothing really. I was just wondering if you were free tomorrow. Maybe we could catch a movie or something."

Silver was glad that Gold wasn't there to see his face turn five shades of red at the proposal. A movie? As in, the two of them going out, alone, to see a movie... _together_? The conversation he'd had with Crystal popped into his head again, and every hair on his body stood on end. She already thought he and Gold were a couple, wouldn't accepting this invitation make that look even more true?

He shook his head. No. That's stupid. Friends go out to see movies together all the time, and that's all they were: friends. Nothing weird about that.

That's what he told himself anyway when he said, "Yeah, sure. What time?"

He could swear he heard a sigh of relief from the other end of the line. He didn't think Gold had meant for him to hear that, so he said nothing. It was strange for him to think of Gold as someone who had trouble speaking to anyone. The younger man had never had any trouble speaking to Silver in the past, after all, and he was so damned friendly to everyone all the time.

"8:00 tomorrow night," Gold finally answered. "Is that okay?"

Glad he had the next day off, Silver said, "Yeah. That's fine."

"A-All right, cool," Gold stammered. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Silver didn't get to respond as Gold hung up after that. He couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. Gold had truly been nervous, something Silver wasn't used to. It was weird, but also kind of hilarious. Regardless, hanging out with him surely wouldn't be too awkward. They'd talked quite a bit during his stay at their house, and they seemed to have agreed that this was some kind of friendship. Perhaps that would be enough.

* * *

The next day, Silver was sitting on his couch, just about ready to turn on his Wii when a knock on his door grabbed his attention. He glanced over at the clock and saw that it read 4:00 pm. Gold had said the movie started at 8:00 so it was too early for him to be there, right? His immediate thought was that Team Rocket was devising some kind of scheme, so he moved slowly as he approached the window next to the door. Keeping his head low, he gently parted the blinds and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding when he saw Gold standing at the door with several grocery bags in his hands. What was he doing here so early? And why did he have grocery bags?

Silver moved to the door and opened it, only to immediately be greeted with Gold's trademark grin followed by, "Hi, Silver."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Gold?"

He stood to the side to let Gold come in, and the younger man looked around, seemingly searching for the kitchen. Once he found it, he went inside and dropped the grocery bags onto the kitchen counter. Silver followed him and said, "You're early. And what's with the bags?"

Bits of red appeared on Gold's cheeks as he started unpacking the bags. He placed several tomatoes on the counter as well as two bags of shredded cheese. He balled up the plastic bag the items had been in and tossed it into the trash before answering, "I like cooking, so I figured I'd make dinner. You like lasagna, right?"

Silver's mouth started to water at the mere mention of the dish. Like it? Somehow, Gold had managed to read his mind and brought the ingredients to one of Silver's favorite foods. The redhead half-smiled and said, "Hell yeah."

Gold smiled brightly. "Awesome! I make my own sauce and the stuff takes a while to cook regardless, so I needed to stop by early to make sure it was done before we left for the movie."

Silver grinned at the sentiment. He wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve Gold coming over to cook for him, but if Gold's barbecue and Miranda's potato salad were any indication, he was in for a treat. So he figured he'd better do something to thank Gold for his kindness and went over to the fridge. He pulled out two beers and put one on the counter next to Gold, whose eyes lit up.

"Thanks, Silver," Gold said, taking the can.

Silver nodded before taking a seat on one of the stools in front of the kitchen counter. The next several minutes were made up of Gold asking Silver where things were and Silver telling him, but once Gold had all he needed, he went to work. It was fascinating to watch him because he moved like a professional chef, chopping the tomatoes like it was nothing and not even needing to measure the seasoning. In light of this, Silver, once again, felt perfectly inferior. It seemed Gold was destined to one-up him in everything.

Once the noodles were cooked and the sauce made, Gold layered the dish, covered it with tin foil, and placed it in the oven. After setting a timer on the oven, he started to fill the sink up with water, but Silver was having none of that. Gold had just cooked dinner and Silver wasn't about to let him wash the dishes too.

So he stepped around the counter and said, "No. Sit down."

Gold gave him a confused look. "Huh? Why?"

Silver gently elbowed him in the side, trying to make him move. "Because you cooked. You don't have to do this too."

Gold's discomfort was obvious when he said, "But..."

Silver motioned to the other side of the counter. "Sit."

Silver saw the fight leave Gold's eyes as he backed away and headed over to one of the stools to sit down. Silver turned the water back on and as the sink filled, he stole a glance in Gold's direction. The younger man was squirming in his seat, clearly more uncomfortable than Silver had given him credit for. Once the sink was full and the water soapy, Silver placed a few dishes in the water and asked, "What's wrong?"

Gold seemed to snap to attention, and his hand rose to the back of his head as he answered, "It's just...weird sitting down and letting someone else clean for me. I'm used to doing almost everything since mom..."

He trailed off, but Silver knew what he meant. No doubt Gold had taken up most of the chores since Miranda fell ill. Silver could only imagine how much work Gold had to do in his everyday life. Taking care of a sick parent can't have been easy. All the more reason, though, for Silver  _not_  to make him do chores while he was there.

Silver rinsed off one of the dishes and said, "Well, you don't have to do that here. I'm perfectly healthy."

Gold didn't say anything, but the discomforted look remained on his face for the rest of the time Silver washed the dishes. Once they were clean, dry, and put away, Silver took his beer and motioned for Gold to follow him into the livingroom. Gold did as he was asked and they both took a seat on the couch.

Silver reached for the Wii remote that he'd planned on using before Gold arrived and asked, "Ever played Mario Kart?"

This time, it was Gold who said, "Hell yeah."

Silver half-smiled and dug into the end table for the other Wii remote, handing it to Gold. As the system powered on, Gold smirked at Silver and said, "Gotta warn you. I'm pretty awesome at this game."

Had anyone else said that to him, Silver might have scoffed and bragged about his own skill at the game. However, Gold had proven time and time again that he was better than Silver at everything, so he simply grinned and said, "We'll see, won't we?"

The game started and Silver picked Bowser, as he always did. He expected Gold to pick either Mario or Luigi, but he was surprised when, instead, he picked Peach. Silver had always avoided using Peach or Yoshi because they were so hard to control, but he said nothing and started the race.

And Gold hadn't been lying when he said he was good. Silver couldn't say he'd played with very many people in his life, but he'd never been given this much trouble. Gold maneuvered the impossible-to-control Peach across the courses like it was the easiest thing in the world. So when the first race ended, Silver barely pulled off 1st place.

Gold growled in fake outrage and said, "That didn't mean anything. I'm just rusty."

Silver found himself laughing before he was able to stop it, but it didn't feel strange like it usually did when he laughed around someone else. It felt...natural, like something he'd been doing his whole life even though he hadn't. He started the next course, and as soon as the race started, Gold flew ahead of him due to Peach's superior speed. Silver gritted his teeth and pushed forward, determined to beat Gold again.

And that was how it went for a while. The two played course after course. Sometimes Silver would win, sometimes not, but regardless, this was the most fun he'd had in a good long while, so he wasn't exactly complaining, even when he did lose. They played and played, both of them completely losing track of time. If it hadn't been for the timer Gold had set on the stove letting him know to check the lasagna, he might have forgotten about it completely.

As soon as the alarm went off, Gold shot to his feet and headed for the kitchen. Silver followed close behind and as soon as he set foot into the kitchen, his mouth watered more than it had before at the scrumptious smell being carried through the air. And the smell only grew stronger when Gold put on oven mits, pulled out the lasagna, and took off the tin foil cover. It looked cooked to perfection, the cheese perfectly browned and the sauce bubbling beautifully.

Gold looked pleased with his work as well as he took a nearby knife and cut the dish into mostly equal rectangles before scooping out two pieces onto two plates. Silver took his and sat down at the counter, ready to devour every bite of it. Gold lingered, however, and made himself a glass of water. He then turned to Silver and asked, "You want one?"

Silver laughed internally at himself. He'd gotten so excited about eating the lasagna he'd forgotten to get a drink. He nodded, and Gold made a second glass for him. Once both of them were situated at the counter, Silver took his first bite of the steaming dish.

And it was absolutely delicious, just as he'd expected it to be. In fact, he hated that the food on his plate was still so hot because he wanted to shovel the entire thing into his mouth in one go. From beside him, however, he heard a disapproving grunt. When he turned to look at Gold, he saw the younger man staring down at his plate, a crestfallen look in his eyes.

Silver washed down his food and asked, "Gold? What is it?"

Gold sat his fork down on his plate and said, "I forgot the rosemary."

Silver glanced at his food, and then back to Gold. There was supposed to be...more flavor? But it already tasted so damn good. If this was what Gold's lasagna tasted like incomplete, then Silver couldn't wait to see what it tasted like with all of the ingredients.

Evidently, though, the lack of the rosemary bothered Gold immensely as he covered his eyes with his hand and said, "Ugh. It's an Italian dish. First rule of Italian dishes, remember the three main spices: oregano, thyme, and freaking rosemary."

Silver chuckled a bit and said, "It's no big deal, Gold."

Gold shook his head. "It was a dumb mistake. Now it doesn't taste right."

Silver couldn't decide if it was sad or charming that Gold was  _this_  upset over forgetting an ingredient, but he wasn't about to let him stay upset, so he said, "Gold, it tastes  _good_."

Gold finally turned his head to look at Silver, and there was genuine shock in his eyes when he said, "You really think so?"

Silver chuckled again. "Yeah. I can't cook at all, so I'm used to frozen lasagna.  _This_  is pretty fucking awesome."

Gold clearly hadn't been expecting that response as his entire face went red and he turned back to his plate. While Gold was contemplating, Silver decided he'd start eating again, not wanting the food to get too cold.

After Silver had taken a few more bites, Gold said, "Thanks, Silver."

Silver didn't answer because his mouth was full, but he could tell by Gold picking his fork back up that he felt better. They finished their food in silence, and when they were finished, Silver washed the dishes and put the leftover lasagna away. He then glanced at the clock and saw that it read 6:00 pm.

They still had time before the movie started, so he asked, "You ready to lose again?"

Gold smirked at him. "Only if you are."

The two of them headed back into the living room and when they sat down, it finally occurred to Silver. He hadn't even asked what movie they were going to see. That might have been a handy bit of information to find out.

Once Gold was situated on the couch, Silver asked him, "So what movie are we going to see?"

Gold's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open for a couple of seconds before he said, "Wait...did I seriously forget to tell you?"

Silver half-smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "I forgot to ask."

Gold rolled his eyes and said, "I guess this is the seventh one now? Paranormal Activity."

Paranormal Activity? The name made Silver want to immediately groan in agony. The first one had been terrible, so he could never understand how it managed to spawn so many equally terrible sequels.

He tried to keep the bother from his face when he said, "Ohh. All right."

He'd evidently failed in his attempt, however, as Gold's face wilted and he said, "Oh god. You hate those movies..."

Once again, Gold covered his eyes with his hand and groaned before saying, "And I already bought the tickets. God, I'm such an idiot. Why didn't I ask you first?"

Silver cursed himself for not keeping his expressions under control better, and he scrambled to say, "Gold, it's fine. We can go see it."

Gold shook his head. "No, I'm not gonna drag you out to see a movie that I know you're gonna hate. Jesus Christ, I really screwed things up, didn't I? First the lasagna and now this..."

Silver's eyes narrowed, and he stared on at Gold for a few seconds. Was he really  _this_  worried over such trivial things? The more Silver thought about it, the less sense it made. Why? What reason could Gold possibly have for worrying  _this_  much?

"Gold," Silver said, "What's this about?"

Gold sighed heavily and his hand dropped from his eyes. His fingers wound together and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "I just wanted everything to go right. I'm not...very experienced with making friends."

Wait...making friends? So Gold was worried about disappointing  _Silver_? He was afraid that he'd somehow messed up Silver's opinion of him? Wasn't this backwards? Shouldn't Silver have been the one worried about Gold's opinion of  _him_? He was, after all, the former thief and bully. But Gold, the one who had pulled Silver out of a life of crime was worried about being rejected by the very one he'd helped?

From somewhere inside of him emerged a protectiveness he didn't know he had, and he felt compelled to reassure Gold that he had absolutely nothing to worry about. But he sure as hell wasn't going to be touchy-feely about it, so he brought his hand back and lightly slapped Gold on the back of his head.

Gold jolted to attention, and Silver said, "You worry too damn much. You don't have to cook me dinner and take me to see movies to be friends with me, Gold. I was perfectly content sitting here, playing Mario Kart, and shooting the shit. I'm not exactly what you'd call a high-maintenance person."

There was a short silence during which Gold stared back at Silver with an absolutely dumbfounded look on his face. But then, Gold turned to look at the TV and a smile formed on his lips.

He chuckled out loud and shook his head before saying, "You're right. I was being incredibly stupid."

Satisfied that Gold was feeling better again, Silver said, "Well, you can keep being stupid about the cooking part if you want to."

Gold laughed again, louder this time, and finally, for the first time since he'd arrived, the younger man looked completely relaxed.


	6. The Tumble

Gold awoke at 6:00 a.m. to the sound of his alarm clock blaring next to his ear. He reached out to silence the contraption and sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes as he did so. It was Saturday morning, that meant it was time for his and his mom's weekly routine. Every Saturday morning, he would get up a half-hour earlier than her and head to the kitchen to make her breakfast. After he made breakfast, they would sit down in front of the TV and watch re-runs of her favorite shows. And this Saturday there was going to be a Golden Girls marathon, so he knew she would not want to miss that.

He dressed himself before heading downstairs and into the kitchen. After the eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy and hashbrowns were well on their way to being cooked, he heard his mother's alarm clock, followed by light footsteps, which let him know she was getting ready to head downstairs. He was stirring the gravy when his attention was ripped away from the food by a loud  _thud_ coming from the living room. He quickly switched off the stove, moved the gravy pot off the burner, and rushed toward the source of the sound. When he scanned the living room, his heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of Miranda lying, face-down at the bottom of the stairs.

He was at her side faster than he could think, and he placed his hands gently on her shoulders when he said, "Mom, are you okay!?"

Miranda shakily raised her head and mumbled, "I-I'm fine, dear."

When Gold caught a glimpse of her face, however, his eyes narrowed at a knot on her forehead. Her right forearm also had a similar bruise and some of the skin on her hands was scraped. Her left ankle was also bruised, so he was careful when he helped her to her feet and asked, "Your ankle, is it sprained or anything?"

Miranda looked down at her bruised foot and placed it down, putting her body weight on it. She didn't wince in pain, and instead gave a weak smile. "No. It seems okay."

He draped her arm over his shoulders and grasped her around her waist, "Okay, well let's get you to your chair so I can bring you an ice pack for your head."

She nodded and he gently led her to her chair. She sat down lightly and reclined it so that her sore ankle would be propped up. Gold then went into the kitchen to get what he needed. As he opened the freezer and pulled out the ice tray, he could see his hands shaking. In fact, they were shaking so wildly that when he attempted to put a few pieces of ice in a plastic bag, two of the pieces slipped from his hands and hit the floor. Frustrated, he slammed his hands on the counter and stood there, trying desperately to calm himself.

She'd had accidents before, but this was the first time she'd hurt herself this badly. Had she fallen a different way, he might have been burying her  _now_  instead of a year down the road. No. He wouldn't let this happen again. He wasn't going to risk losing her any sooner than he had to. He managed to force his hands to stop shaking and finished making the ice pack. He brought it to her and sat down next to her on the couch.

He watched her place the ice pack on her forehead and said, "Mom...we need to talk about this."

She smiled again, obviously trying to assuage his worries. "I'm perfectly all right, Gold. I took a tumble is all."

"Down the stairs," he said bluntly. "You "took a tumble" down the stairs. What if you'd broken your neck on the way down?"

Using her free hand, Miranda reached out and ran it over Gold's cheek, "But I didn't. I'm okay."

He shook his head and wound his fingers together. "Yeah, and you're going to stay that way. I'm moving your bed downstairs so you won't have to climb up and down them anymore."

He could tell immediately from the look on her face that she was offended at the very notion. She lowered the ice pack and leaned forward as she said, "No, you most certainly are  _not_."

"Yes I am," Gold bit back. "And you can't stop me."

She released a prideful huff and responded, "I'm perfectly fine Gold. I don't need you coddling-"

"You're  _not_  perfectly fine, Mom!" he exclaimed.

Seeing as she wasn't getting the point, he stood and walked in front of the recliner. He stared down at her with an intense gaze and said, "Everyday, these headaches and dizzy spells get worse! I see you stare off into space like you're dreaming while you're awake! I hear you wake up at night with nightmares and god-knows what else going through your head! I see you get faint and almost collapsed just from walking across the room! And I'm..."

He had to force back tears that were threatening to form in his eyes. No. He couldn't do this. If he broke down, he might give in to her, and he couldn't afford that. So he swallowed the lump in his throat and went on, "I'm scared, Mom. You don't want me dwelling on it, so I don't, but you're  _dying_. I don't know how I'm gonna deal with that when it happens, but I'm sure as hell  _not_  gonna let it happen any sooner than it has to. I'm moving your bed downstairs. Today."

Miranda's eyes were misted over with tears, and he had to fight the urge to immediately comfort her. He  _had_  to hold his ground. That was the only way his unflinchingly stubborn mother was going to listen to him. She broke eye contact after a few more seconds and hung her head, her voice soft when she said, "You're right, dear. I just...never wanted this day to come. I wanted to..."

She halted her sentence due to the tears leaking from her eyes, but he knew what she was trying to say. He could see how hard she'd been trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. It was hard enough getting her to give up on doing the chores, but moving her bed downstairs was such a drastic change to her everyday life that normalcy would be near-impossible to maintain. He'd finally reached the point that he wanted to comfort her, so he knelt down over the chair and pulled the frail woman into his arms.

Her arms pitifully hugged him back, and he finally let a couple tears fall when he said, "I love you, Mom."

She planted a kiss on his cheek and answered, "I love you too."

He broke away and realized that he'd never finished cooking breakfast, so he was about to head back to the kitchen to start over when Miranda said, "You won't be able to move my bed and my dresser by yourself, dear. You'll need to call in some help."

Those words stopped him in his tracks. He hadn't even thought about that. Miranda's mattress was a queen, so it would take him forever to try to move it all on his own. And the dresser. There was no way he could lift it by himself. It was far too heavy. But who could he call? The only younger man he knew in the entire town was Anthony, and that wasn't an option, especially after how he'd treated Silver.

Silver. He was certain Silver would help him if he asked. But he'd only just seen Silver a few days ago. The last thing he wanted was to seem overly-clingy, especially after he'd lied to Silver about why he'd been so nervous the other night.  _I'm not very experienced with making friends_ , he'd said. Yeah, it had absolutely  _nothing_  to do with the fact that his crush on Silver kept getting worse and worse every time he saw him again.

' _Great joke, Gold,'_  he told himself. ' _Great freaking joke.'_

"No," Gold answered. "I can do it by myself."

Her eyebrows ran together. "Don't be ridiculous, Gold. Call Silver. If you explain to him what's going on, I'm sure he'll come right over."

Gold's left eye twitched. Of course. He knew she was going to suggest that. She seemed to have made it her personal mission to play matchmaker with him and Silver. Still, he was determined to avoid calling him, so he answered, "It's fine, Mom. I don't want to bug him."

She crossed her arms. "Please, dear. I'm your mother. We both know it has nothing to do with "bugging" him."

He groaned. She was unrelentingly observant, always had been, and it infuriated him to no end. But he wasn't going to give up that easily. He started to move away from her and said, "I'm not calling him."

Before he could even take a step, however, she'd reached up to his belt and yanked the pokegear right off of it. His eyes widened and he started to reach for it, exclaiming, "Mom!"

She held it back away from him and started cycling through numbers as she said, "I don't think so. You're not hurting yourself by trying to move all of that stuff alone. And if you won't call Silver, then I will."

Before he could move to stop her, she pressed the call button.

* * *

Silver had been awake for only a half-hour, and he was just about to start heating up something for breakfast when his pokegear started ringing. He was surprised that someone would be calling him this early in the morning, but he picked it up nonetheless. He was equally surprised to see Gold's name in the caller ID. Silver had always pictured Gold as the type of person who slept in till noon on the weekends.

He pushed the answer button and said, "Gold?"

He was surprised for a third time when Miranda's voice said, "Hello Silver, dear."

"Oh," Silver responded. "Miranda. What's going on?"

"Well," she began, "My son needs help moving some heavy furniture, but he has his mother's stubbornness so he refused to call you for help. I decided I'd call for him so he doesn't break his back trying to move the things by himself."

In the background, Silver heard Gold's annoyed voice say, "Really, Mom?"

Miranda ignored him and went on, "I'm sorry to call you out of the blue like this, but Gold needs the help and he doesn't know any other young men in town besides Anthony."

The sound of the name immediately set Silver's blood to boiling. Anthony. The only other younger guy Gold knew in town was  _that_  ass hole? The thought of Gold calling that neanderthal over to help him move the furniture was enough to make Silver want to crush the pokegear in his hand. No way was he letting  _that_  happen.

He glanced over at the clock and saw that he still had a few hours before work, so he said, "It's all right, Miranda. I'll be there as soon as I can."

He couldn't see it, but he knew the woman was smiling when she said, "Thank you so much, dear."

"Yeah," he said, "No problem."

He then hung up, took his pokeball belt, and headed out of the front door.

* * *

Miranda handed the pokegear back to Gold, and Gold gave her an annoyed glare when he said, "Did you  _really_  have to mention Anthony? He and Silver aren't exactly friendly."

Miranda threw out a sly smirk. "I know."

Gold rolled his eyes, "If you knew then why did you-"

He stopped when he saw a suggestive look on her face. What was she trying to tell him exactly? Did she actually...? No...

He crossed his arms and said sternly, "You were trying to make him  _jealous_?"

She raised her eyebrows and smirked again. "It worked."

Gold groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. "How can you  _possibly_ know that?"

She leaned back in the recliner and placed her hands behind her head. "I just do."

Gold released an exasperated sigh. "You are infuriating, sometimes. You know that?"

She didn't answer and kept the smirk on her face as Gold retreated to the kitchen to clean up the incomplete breakfast.

* * *

Crobat landed outside of Gold's house and Silver promptly released all of his Pokemon to let them exercise. He ordered them not to wander too far before knocking on the door.

"Come on in, Silver," came Miranda's voice from the other side.

Silver opened the door and glanced in the direction Miranda's voice had come from. He found her sitting on the recliner with her head leaned back and an ice pack pressed against her forehead. He could see a bruise on her arm and another on her leg. His first instinct was to ask her what happened and if she was okay. He stopped himself, though, after he thought about it. She was holding an ice pack, which meant Gold had probably been fussing over her all morning. He knew, from her reaction to her episode at the barbecue, that she didn't like to be coddled, so he decided he wouldn't be doing that.

He took a few steps closer and said, "You look like hell."

As he figured she would, she laughed and said, "I still look better than you did the night we met."

He laughed. He didn't doubt it. He'd already looked pretty disheveled  _before_  Team Rocket got their hands on him, so he could imagine how shit he'd looked after that. He took a glance around the living room and said, "So I guess the furniture I'm helping move is your bed?"

She rolled her eyes. "And my dresser. How did you know?"

He shrugged. "Well, unless you got into a fight with one of those cast-iron skillets in the kitchen, the only reason you'd look like that is if you fell down the stairs."

From the kitchen doorway, Gold's voice came echoing, "Wow. If you were half that observant during our Pokemon battles, you might not have lost so many times."

Silver turned to Gold and saw him standing with his shoulder against the doorframe, a playful grin on his face. Silver grinned and joked back, "So cruel, and after I flew all the way out here to help you. I might cry."

Gold chuckled and took a few steps into the living room right as Miranda said, "Well, I expect you two will be wanting to get to work. Have you had breakfast yet, Silver?"

He just remembered that he hadn't. She'd called right before he could start his breakfast. He shook his head, and she leaned forward, getting to her feet and saying, "Okay, well I'll head into the kitchen to restart breakfast while you two are working."

Before Silver could say anything, Gold piped up, "No way, Mom! I told you to take it easy! I'll cook breakfast when we're done."

Silver could sense a confrontation was about to happen, so he backed away, trying to give the two some space. Miranda placed her hands on her hips and bit back, "I hit my head, Gold. I'm not crippled. There's no reason I can't cook breakfast for us."

He crossed his arms and stared back intensely. "And what if you get dizzy again while you're cooking?"

"Then I'll sit down!" she exclaimed, apparently much louder than she'd meant to as the look on her face went instantly from irritated to shocked.

She then brought one of her hands up to cover her eyes, exhaled heavily as if trying to calm herself, and went on, "I'm sorry, dear. I shouldn't have snapped, but you can't start treating me like an invalid because of this. I already agreed to let you move the bed, so you can let me cook breakfast."

Silver glanced over at Gold and he could tell by his face that Gold wanted to argue back. After a few seconds however, he dropped his arms to his side, his expression softened, and he said, "All right, Mom."

She put her normal smile back on her face and lightly touched his shoulder as she walked past him and headed into the kitchen. Gold's eyes then fell on Silver, and the redhead could see the light blush on his cheeks.

"Sorry about that," Gold said.

Without hesitation, Silver said, "About what?"

Their eyes met, and Gold looked confused at first until Silver saw the light click on in his head. Then the younger man's lips curled into a smile and he said, "You ready to get this done?"

Silver nodded and followed Gold upstairs. The first thing they had to do was drag the mattress and box spring out into the hallway. Once that was done, the two of them started working together to take apart the bed frame so it could be moved downstairs first. Silver knelt at the foot of the bed while Gold worked at the top.

While they were working, Silver found himself curious about something Miranda had said over the phone, so he broke the silence and asked, "So why didn't you want to call me?"

Gold momentarily stopped what he was doing, and Silver grinned at the annoyed look that fell over his face. After sighing, Gold went on taking the frame apart and said, "Mom has a a big mouth. I didn't want to call you because I don't want to become a bother."

Silver pulled two parts of the frame apart and placed one on the floor. "A bother? Your mom fell down the stairs. You really think I'd find it "bothersome" to come over here and help you move her stuff downstairs to make sure that doesn't happen again?"

Gold finished taking apart his half in silence, apparently unable to come up with a response. Silver remained utterly confused as he finished his own part until an idea popped into his head. Gold...was he still expecting Silver to react to things the way he  _used_  to? It was very likely, and it wouldn't have been even remotely surprising. Had Gold asked Silver for something like this during the year they'd been fighting each other, Silver would have spit in his face and told him to stop being annoying. The thought made Silver's chest heavy with ever-present guilt. It made sense. They hadn't truly interacted with each other much over the past 5 years, so before recently, all Gold had was terrible memories of Silver. It would take more than a few meetings over a few weeks for Gold to get fully past that.

So Silver willed himself not to be bothered by Gold's reaction, and said, "You're not a bother, Gold."

It seemed to take Gold a couple of seconds to register the words, but when he did, Silver saw his lips curl into a smile. Silver finished taking apart his half, and once the two of them had gathered all of the pieces, they headed downstairs. On the way down, Silver decided he wanted to improve the mood, so he quipped, "I seem to remember telling you that you worry too damn much."

Gold chuckled as they approached the corner where they planned to put the frame together. The laugh let Silver know that Gold was feeling better, so they said little else as they finished their work. Miranda called to them to let them know breakfast was ready right as they placed the dresser where it needed to be. They both turned to the kitchen door in time to see Miranda carrying a full garbage bag.

She looked at both of them and said, "Can one of you take this out while I set the table?"

Silver approached first and said, "Yeah, give it here."

She smiled as she handed him the bag, and motioned for Gold to follow her. As the two of them headed off for the kitchen, Silver walked out of the front door and headed for the dumpster outside. As he opened the lid and deposited the bag, he saw someone approaching out of the corner of his eye. He turned and his chest immediately began to burn with anger. Big arms, blonde hair, angry eyes. Anthony. Silver decided he wasn't going to let the brute get any closer, so he started marching toward him. They met right next to a short ravine that led directly into a deep part of river. Not an ideal place if a fight started since Anthony could easily toss him in, but Silver wasn't about to back down now.

Anthony crossed his bulky arms and growled, "I told you to stay away from him."

Silver could feel how red his cheeks were getting when he said, "You did, and  _I_  told  _you_  that he doesn't belong to you."

Anthony took a step closer as his arms fell to his side and his fists clenched. "This is your last chance you ginger fuck. Leave, and don't come near him again."

A sarcastic grin spread across Silver's face and he said, "Nice threat. It might actually work if I was afraid of you."

That was the tipping point, evidently as Antony drew back one of his fists and prepared to strike. Being smaller and quicker, Silver was able to dodge the first punch, but in his mind he knew now quickly this could go south. Anthony was much bigger and stronger than him. All it would take was one well-placed punch. Hoping to end the fight quickly, Silver lept onto Anthony's back and hooked his arms around his neck in an attempt to choke him into blacking out.

Bad plan. Using his superior strength, Antony pried Silver's arms away and swiftly tossed him to the ground. Silver landed roughly on his back, and looked up in time to see Anthony's steel-toe boot about to come down onto his head. Silver rolled to the side, out of the boot's path, and scrambled to his feet. Anthony was upon him before he could do much else, however, and Silver found himself having to dodge another punch. He slipped behind Anthony and tried to think of  _something_  else he could do to incapacitate this massive man. But nothing came to mind. He obviously wasn't strong enough to keep Anthony in a hold, so the chances of him being able to hit him hard enough to knock him out were also slim to none.

Anthony spun quickly, throwing out a backhand, which Silver ducked to avoid, only to be met with Anthony's foot driving into his stomach. All of the air left Silver's lungs and he collapsed onto one knee. Anthony took the opportunity to grab Silver by his shirt collar and raise him to eye level. Well...it went badly just as quickly as Silver figured it would. Unsurprising.

A sadistic grin appeared on Anthony's face and he said, "Don't ever say I didn't warn you, you skinny twerp."

Anthony then drew his fist back, and Silver closed his eyes as he tried to prepare to take the punch. However, he felt nothing, and his eyes flew open again when he heard Gold's frantic voice shout, "Anthony!"

Silver's eyes fell on Gold as he ran toward them, with Miranda trudging behind. The even smaller Gold charged directly for Anthony and wrapped his hands around one of Anthony's massive arms. He tugged, seemingly as hard as he could and exclaimed, "Let him go!"

One look into Anthony's eyes, however, made it quite obvious that he was blinded by his rage. He could neither see nor hear Gold. He  _was_  able to feel him, though, as he released his hold on Silver with one arm, and used that arm to shove Gold away. The younger man stumbled several feet back, and Silver's eyes widened as he tumbled over the nearby ravine and into the river below. Silver took advantage of Anthonty's momentary distraction and drove both of his fists into Anthony's remaining arm, releasing the hold.

But, Silver wasn't able to retaliate against the larger man as a gut-wrenching scream from Miranda grabbed Silver's attention. His eyes met hers, and he saw a terror unlike anything he'd ever seen before when she shouted, "Silver, he can't swim!"

In that instant, a feeling Silver had never experienced shot through him, something akin to an anvil being dropped on his chest. Gold...couldn't swim. That possibility hadn't even crossed his mind, but now that he knew, nothing else existed. There was no Anthony. There was no Miranda. There was no pain in his stomach. And there was no hesitation in his mind. He shot to the edge of the ravine and dove into the water. He found Gold immediately, and the weight in his chest only became heavier when he saw that the younger man wasn't moving.

He took him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the surface of the river, keeping his head above water as he pulled him to the shore. Miranda was already waiting for them at the edge of the water, and Silver could hear her shouting hysterically, but he couldn't register her words. He couldn't register her words because Gold wasn't breathing. Silver's heart slammed so hard against his chest it was physically painful, but he forced himself to stay calm. He had to. It was the only way Gold was going to live. So he hooked his hands together and started compressing Gold's chest. Afterwards, Silver tilted Gold's head back, opened his mouth, and breathed two deep breaths down his throat. No reaction, so he went back to compressions. With each passing second that Gold didn't wake up, Miranda's sobs became louder, and the weight in Silver's chest grew heavier.

No. Not like this. Gold couldn't die in such a stupid way. He'd come too far, and there was still so much left for him to do. He hadn't even become Pokemon League Champion yet. He wouldn't shut up about that shit when they were younger. No. Silver wouldn't allow it. He had too damn much to live for.

The compressions became more frantic, and Silver finally spoke, "Come on, Gold! Breathe!"

He tilted his head back again and blew two more breaths. Another compression, and another, and another. Still no breath. Silver's teeth gritted, his voice grew deeper, and he snarled, "You insufferably goody-two-shoes motherfucker! You do NOT get to die like this! BREATHE!"

More compressions, no breath, and Silver thought his chest might collapse. Another head tilt. He wasn't going to give up. Two more heavy breaths. He was preparing to raise his head and perform more compressions when Silver found himself choking on water that was suddenly shot into his mouth. He leaned back, and released a heavy sigh when Gold's eyes opened and he began coughing and gasping for air simultaneously. The anvil was gone, and now Silver's heart was pounding from the sheer relief that had washed over him.

He quickly turned Gold on his side to make it easier for him to cough out the water, and Miranda finally knelt down beside them both. Her still-cracking voice said, "Oh my god. Gold, honey."

She lifted his head gently and placed it in her lap before leaning over and kissing his forehead. His eyes turned upward and, in perfect Gold fashion, he flashed his doofy grin and said, "I'm okay, Mom."

Silver looked upon the mother and son, and he couldn't help but smile. It was unbelievable, but that had somehow worked out. However, out of the corner of his eye, Silver caught a glimpse of the cause for all this shit. Anthony still stood by, a dumbfounded look on his face. Silver's chest was set ablaze as the anger that had dissipated before he jumped in the water returned all at once. That great, lumbering, simple-minded neanderthal had almost killed Gold, and all he could do was stand there looking confused?

Silver shot to his feet, his eyebrows ran together, and he stomped up to Anthony. He drew his fist back, and threw a punch that held every bit of the anger currently scorching his chest. To his surprise, not only did the punch land, but it sent Anthony falling backward until he landed roughly on his back. The larger man looked up at Silver pitifully as he said, "I-I didn't mean to..."

"Shut up!" Silver shouted back. "And get the fuck out of here before I find something to stab you with!"

He didn't wait for Anthony to respond and stormed off, headed straight for Gold. He knelt and said, "Come on, Gold. Let's get you inside."

Gold's eyes met his, and the younger man nodded. Taking Gold's wrist, Silver draped his arm over his shoulders and hoisted him to his feet. Miranda followed behind them as Silver half-carried Gold inside and brought him over to the dining room table. He placed Gold into one of the chairs with a "flop," and Miranda said something about bringing them dry clothes before disappearing upstairs.

While she was gone, Silver pulled up a chair in front of Gold and sat down. Gold's face was still very pale, and his hands shook wildly, but he was aware, and he was breathing. That was what mattered. Still, Silver felt compelled to ask, "Are you okay?"

Gold smiled, as usual, and answered, "As okay as I  _can_  be, I guess."

Silver didn't get to answer as Miranda re-appeared carrying not only two sets of dry clothes but also two towels. She placed them on the kitchen table and told them to bring her the wet clothes when they were done before disappearing into the kitchen. Silver stood and was about to grab one pile of the clothes and head upstairs to change when he saw Gold suddenly start pulling his own shirt off. At first, Silver thought perhaps he was only going to change his shirt, but when he saw Gold start taking off his pants and boxers too, he realized Gold was unconcerned with being seen.

Well, if Gold was unconcerned with being seen, then Silver wasn't going to worry about it either. So he followed Gold's lead and stripped out of his own wet clothes as well. He threw his wet clothes on top of the pile Gold had started and took one of the towels to dry himself. When he did so, he accidentally glanced in Gold's direction. The younger man's back was turned, but Silver was given a perfect view of his surprisingly muscular back as well as his perfectly toned butt. Silver's cheeks heated up, and he turned his head, trying to focus on anything other than what he'd just seen.

Wait...why was he embarrassed? He'd been to high school. He'd changed in the locker room with other guys. He'd even accidentally caught glimpses of their cocks before.  _That_  had never embarrassed him. So why...? He shook his head and went back to drying himself off. This was  _not_  the sort of thing he should be thinking about,  _ever_. Once he was reasonably dry, he dressed himself with the dry clothes he'd picked out. He then wrapped all of the wet clothes up in the towel and followed Miranda into the kitchen. He found her standing by the washer and dryer, and he deposited the clothing into the wash.

Miranda adjusted the machine, started it, and, to Silver's absolute bafflement, leaned into him. She wrapped her arms around his torso and gripped onto both of his shoulders as her head rested against his chest. Her voice trembled when she said, "Thank you... Thank you."

He knew what she was thanking him for. He'd heard her cries of anguish the entire time he'd been trying to resuscitate Gold. It just hadn't occurred to him until this moment that he'd receive thanks for it. His body had more or less moved on its own, and the only thing he'd been concerned with was making sure Gold didn't die. So he felt awkward being thanked, but he hesitantly returned the hug regardless and said, "Y-Yeah. No problem."

She broke away after that and motioned toward the counter. He turned and saw all of the food she'd cooked earlier still sitting there, untouched. Some of it still had steam coming off of it. Really put into perspective how fast everything had just happened.

Miranda stepped up beside him and said, "I'll make Gold a plate. He might not eat, but you both really should."

Once she was done making Gold's plate, Silver made his, and asked her, "What about you?"

She grinned. "I'm going to eat in here so I can watch the washer. It's been acting up lately."

A lie. An obvious lie. Why she was lying to him he wasn't sure, but the woman was no better at lying than Gold was. A trait he, evidently, inherited from her. But Silver said nothing and took Gold's plate along with his own and two glasses of water, grateful for his short stint as a server at Olivine's cafe. When he returned to the dining room, he found Gold sitting right where he had been, with his fingers curled together and his elbows on the table. Silver placed his plate and a glass of water in front of him, and that seemed to grab Gold's attention. The younger man threw out a quick "Thanks" before Silver sat down across from him.

Before Silver could take the first bite of his food, however, he noticed how badly Gold' hand shook as he picked up his own fork. It wasn't surprising that he'd still be a bit shaken up. Almost dying will do that to a person. The first thing Silver thought to do was start a conversation to help distract Gold, so he blurted out, "You should have told me you didn't know how to swim. I would have taught you."

At the sound of his words, the shaking in Gold's hand became worse and he seemed to give up on eating as he put his fork back down.  _Shit_. The plan had been to help, not make it worse. He thought for sure offering to teach him to swim  _would_  help, but from the look on Gold's face it clearly hadn't. Why? Wouldn't learning how to swim prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future? Unless...unless it wasn't that simple.

Gold hadn't been in the water long. Even if he  _didn't_  know how to swim, most people are at least capable of flailing around and keeping themselves afloat for a few seconds. It's how lifeguards manage to pull people out of the water without having to perform CPR every single time. And yet when Silver jumped into the water, Gold had already passed out. The only way that would happen is if Gold had froze, and if he froze, did that mean...?

Silver placed his own fork down and asked, "It's not just that you can't swim, is it? You're afraid of the water."

With that, Gold leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He refused to make eye-contact with Silver, but Silver could still see the discomfort and embarrassment behind his eyes. It was unbelievable to Silver that Gold could be afraid of anything, especially something as seemingly trivial as water. Not to mention, he no longer had any idea what to say to Gold or if Gold even  _wanted_  him saying anything else. There is perhaps no greater punch to the ego than someone discovering what one of your greatest fears is.

But Gold seemed to read his mind as he broke the silence and said, "I'm sorry."

Okay, what? Gold was apologizing...to him? If anything,  _he_  should be the one apologizing to Gold for dragging up the fact that he's afraid of the water. Utterly baffled, Silver asked, "What could you  _possibly_  have to apologize for?"

Gold kept his eyes squarely on the table as he answered, "Anthony showed up because of me."

Silver raised and eyebrow. "You  _dated_  the guy once, Gold. That doesn't make you his keeper."

Gold sighed heavily, and Silver could see the exasperation on his face when he said, "You don't understand. He's  _my_  responsibility."

"Oh, yeah?" Silver said, "How do you figure?"

"Because!" he started to say, but he seemed to realize he was almost shouting, so he stopped. He took a breath, and after a few more seconds he went on, "Because he'd be in jail right now if I'd just said something."

Those words stopped Silver in his tracks, and it took him several seconds to fully realize the implications of them. His thoughts were sent back to the conversation he'd had with Gold after Anthony had showed up the first time.

' _He only likes picking on people who don't fight back_.'

Those words had bothered Silver before, but now they had a whole new meaning. Silver leaned on the table as he asked, "What did he do to you?"

Gold scoffed and said, "Enough. Enough that if I had just fucking  _told_  somebody, he'd be rotting in a cell right now. But I didn't, did I? No matter how bad things got, I just kept going back to him."

No matter how bad things got? Kept going back? Just how long had it gone one for? Silver couldn't imagine someone like Gold letting  _anyone_  walk on him or keep him beaten down. That was the exact opposite of the vision he'd always had of Gold. To Silver, Gold had always been this paragon of greatness that Silver had  _no_  chance of ever measuring up to, which was why he'd always been so damn jealous of him. Now he knew that he'd been holding Gold to an impossible standard, expecting that he was  _always_  going to be the strongest, no matter the situation.

No. Gold was just as human as Silver was, and Anthony had hurt him, probably more than anyone else ever had. The thought made the previously diminished anger start to bubble back to the surface. Silver's eyebrows ran tightly together and he said, "Then I should have snapped his damn neck as soon as I met him."

He knew he probably wouldn't have been strong enough to do any such thing, but it felt good to say. A light chuckle escaped from Gold's lips and he responded, "I'd pay to see that, to be honest."

It was nice to see a small amount of Gold's normally cheerful personality come through, but Silver still had to know something. It wasn't a nice question, but he knew he wouldn't be able to let this subject drop without asking it.

So he swallowed heavily and asked, "Why  _didn't_  you tell anyone?"

Gold laughed again, this time sarcastically. His hand rose to temporarily cover his eyes before he answered, "There's this nice lie I tell myself to help me sleep at night. I tell myself that I kept quiet because I didn't want to give Mom anything else to worry about. But the truth is a lot more pathetic."

For the first time since they'd met, Silver saw real tears start to form in Gold's eyes, and the sight left such a sour feeling in Silver's stomach that he thought he might vomit despite having nothing to purge. And that feeling only grew worse when Gold went on, "I was stupid enough to keep believing that he loved me, and I was weak enough that I still loved him. If Crystal hadn't walked in on me changing my shirt and saw the bruises, I'd probably still be with him. But she threatened to tell Mom if I didn't break things off with him. So I did, but I..."

He scoffed again. "I didn't report him. I still had fresh bruises. I had hospital records from when he broke my arm and the other time when he broke three of my ribs. I had everything I needed to put him away, but I didn't. So every single terrible thing he's done since then...it's all on me. If he ever stops obsessing over me and moves on to another guy, its gonna be  _my_ fault if that new guy gets hurt. Because I could have stopped Anthony, and I  _didn't_."

Bruises. Broken arm.  _Three_  broken ribs. Every new detail added to the now raging anger inside Silver. He'd despised Anthony before, but now, he was certain if he saw the blonde-haired brute again, he'd try to kill him. His mind wouldn't stop. Image after image flashed through his mind. An image of Anthony knocking Gold to the floor and stomping on his ribs to crack them. An image of Anthony grabbing Gold's arm and twisting it until it snapped. Images of Anthony holding Gold down and using him as a punching bag.

All of it made a knot form in Silver's chest that was so tight he thought his chest might crack open because he knew, if it weren't for Gold's intervention, he might have  _been_  Anthony. He'd been heading down that road before Gold set him on a better one. So he knew he owed it to Gold to at least  _attempt_  to console him. He wasn't sure if what he was going to say would work, but he was damn well going to try.

Keeping the anger from his voice as best he could, Silver said, "Maybe you  _could_ have stopped him. At the same time, maybe the evidence  _wouldn't_  have been enough to convict him. It doesn't matter. Nothing he does from here on out is  _your_  fault. You're not holding a gun to his head and  _forcing_  him to hurt people."

Gold didn't seem to be convinced, however, and said, "But..."

"No," Silver interjected. "I'm not a shrink, but it doesn't take a degree to understand how abusers work. It just takes knowing one, or  _being_  one."

Gold's expression finally shifted, and his eyes became heavy with a mix of sorrow and concern when he said, "Silver..."

Silver wasn't going to give Gold the time to say anything else, though, and went on, "Just...trust me. Guys like him know how to manipulate people. So you shouldn't blame yourself."

The room went silent for several long seconds. And in those seconds, Silver saw Gold's expression shift again, this time to a much more relaxed one. A smile slowly crept onto his face and the tension in his body seemed to fade completely.

There it was, the  _real_  smile Silver had been hoping for.  _That_  was how Gold should look. Not fighting off tears and berating himself for things he couldn't possibly be responsible for. He was too good for that, and Silver decided, in that moment, to do whatever he could to keep that doofy smile on Gold's face. Anything less was unacceptable.

Pointing at Gold's plate, Silver smirked and said, "You should probably eat."

Gold looked down at the now completely cold food and said, "Yeah...might need to stick it in the microwave first."

Gold picked up his plate and motioned for Silver to follow him. Silver did as he was asked, and when he stood, he was met with Gold's hand placed firmly on his shoulder. He glanced at the hand and then to Gold's face. Gold's eyes were far warmer than he'd seen them the entire day when he said, "Thanks Silver...for everything."

Silver's cheeks stung with heat, and his heart started pounding again. Wait...why? Why was he blushing? Why was his heart racing? What the hell was going on with him today? There was just something about this...particular interaction that made it feel more intense than Silver was comfortable with. What was it? What was this weird feeling lingering in the air between him and Gold?

He didn't have time to think about it too much more because Gold pulled his hand away and started heading for the kitchen. Silver awkwardly followed, hoping that he could forget about whatever had just happened.

One thing was certain. Today had been one hell of an eventful one.


	7. The First Lesson

After he and Silver had moved her bed downstairs, Miranda had insisted that she wanted some kind of curtain put around her bed so that she might have SOME level of privacy while she was sleeping, and to help block out the sun which came in from two separate windows in the living room. So while Gold was installing said curtains, he was interrupted by his pokegear ringing. He plucked it off his belt and saw "Silver" written on the screen. He smiled with anticipation and answered it.

"Hey, Silver," he said.

"H-Hey, Gold," Silver answered.

Gold attached the Pokegear to his shirt collar so he could keep working while talking and asked, "What's up?"

It took Silver a few seconds to answer, but he said, "Nothing's "up," really. I was just...um-"

He heard Silver clear his throat and say, "Just wondering if maybe you wanted to come over. I'm off today so..."

Gold didn't answer immediately, not because he didn't want to go, but because he was so shocked to be invited over to Silver's house. His brain started forming ideas before he could even form a response. If Silver was inviting  _him_  it meant that Silver, at the very least, enjoyed his company. Otherwise, why would he ask? His heart pounded just a little bit harder, and his words caught in his throat.

Silver, of course, took the silence wrong, and said, "If you're busy, it's fine, just-"

"N-No!" Gold interrupted.

He had to force himself to calm down after that. He'd done a good job not appearing too eager so far, so he was determined to keep that eagerness reigned in.

"Sorry. Mom has me hanging some curtains around her bed, so I was distracted," he lied. "I can come over after I'm finished."

"All right," Silver answered, "Cool. I'll see you later."

"Bye."

He then hung up the pokegear and exhaled heavily. Well, that went better than expected. As he finished hanging the curtains, Miranda emerged from the kitchen holding a sandwich and asked, "Was that Silver?"

Gold's cheeks flushed a little and he said, "Yeah. He wanted to know if I wanted to come over."

She grinned and sat in her recliner. "Well, I  _hope_  you told him yes."

Gold rolled his eyes and attached the final piece of the curtain. "Yes, Mom, I did."

He knew she meant well, but her constantly teasing him about Silver only made things even more awkward for him. He was already struggling with possibly starting another relationship after Anthony, but it was doubly difficult considering how smitten he'd  _already_  become with Silver. In all his years, he never imagined the bratty teenager who had spent a year trying to bully him would grow up into such a catch.

"All right, dear," Miranda said before winking. "You'd better get going. Don't want to keep him waiting."

Gold had to resist the urge to groan before asking her, "Do you want me to make you something to heat up for dinner before I go?"

She shook her head. "I'll manage. Get out of here."

He smiled and leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Love you, Mom."

"I love you too, dear," she answered with a grin, "Have fun."

He nodded and headed for the door, grabbing his pokeball belt on the way out.

* * *

Altaria landed outside of Silver's house, and Gold knocked on the door as he returned it to its Pokeball. He heard Silver call for him to come in, so he opened the door and found Silver standing behind the couch wearing a black t-shirt and what looked like black swimming trunks. Wait...swimming trunks? Why was he wearing swimming trunks? Gold immediately didn't like the implications, but he kept the suspicion from his face as he said, "Hey, Silver."

Silver half-smiled and said, "Heads up."

He then tossed something to Gold, and when Gold caught it he realized it was another pair of swimming trunks. Okay, now he was  _really_  worried. Was Silver seriously about to suggest that they go swimming  _knowing_  how Gold felt about the water? He was about to ask Silver what was going on when the redhead said, "Put those on and meet me in the basement."

He said no more and walked away, right through a door that Gold could only assume led to the basement. Gold stood there for several seconds, dumbfounded by what had just happened. Just what was Silver up to? It was obvious that they weren't going swimming since Silver had said to meet him in the basement. But if they weren't going swimming, then why did Gold need swim trunks? Well, he wasn't going to get any answers standing here, so he stripped out of his pants and boxers before slipping on the swim trunks. He went through the door Silver had passed through and down the stairs.

When he entered the basement he found mostly carpeted floors, a flat-screen TV on the wall, a foosball table, an air hockey table, and a pool table. In the corner, surrounded by linoleum was a set of linoleum stairs that led into what looked like a hot tub. On the linoleum next to the tub was a mini fridge, and hanging above that were two towels on a rack. Silver stood with one foot on the bottom stair, his arms crossed awkwardly.

Gold finally approached and asked, "What's going on, Silver?"

Silver glanced at the tub and said, "So I, uh, kinda invited you here under false pretenses."

Gold crossed his arms as well. "I can see that."

Silver brought one of his hands up to scratch the back of his head. "It's just...I have this stupid tub that I never use, and I know you're afraid of the water. So I thought, I don't know, maybe you could use it to start getting over your fear."

Get over the fear? He had to admit that such a thought had never even crossed his mind. He'd pretty much accepted it as something he'd be stuck with for the rest of his life. It was inconvenient, but it didn't make his life all that much more difficult. But if he  _could_  overcome it...

Silver let both arms drop to his sides and said, "If you really don't want to, I won't push it. But if you want to...I'll, um...help you...if you, uh...want me to, anyway..."

It was clear to Gold that Silver was stepping  _way_ outside of his comfort zone with this whole conversation. His hesitation all throughout the last sentence was evidence of that. And while getting over his fear of water hadn't been on Gold's agenda that day, he knew he wasn't going to be able to tell Silver no. Not after he'd gone out of his way to both invite him over  _and_  offer to help him overcome something that had plagued him since he was a child. Gold walked closer until he was standing right in front of Silver and turned to look into the tub. It was a little deeper than a bathtub, but it was shallow enough that he could sit down and the water would only reach his shoulders, so he figured he would probably be fine.

He turned his head to look at Silver and said, "Okay."

Silver looked genuinely surprised. "Okay?"

Gold flashed him a hesitant smile. "Yeah... I kinda  _do_  need to get over it. I'm not a kid anymore."

The look that fell over Silver's face in that moment made Gold blush. It almost looked like...pride. Was Silver proud of him for agreeing? The redhead didn't say anything, though, and simply motioned for Gold to follow as he climbed the stairs and stripped off his shirt. He flung the shirt off to the side, and heat stung Gold's cheeks at the sight of so much bare skin. Silver waded to the other side and sat down, giving Gold plenty of room to get in himself. Gold took off his shirt and didn't hesitate to walk up the stairs, but when he was faced with the task of stepping into the water, he stopped. He stared down into the water that suddenly looked twenty feet deeper and cursed his own brain for making him see something so ridiculous. His heart started to pound, but he forced himself forward, dipping one foot into the water slowly.

Inch by inch his foot moved until it touched the "seat" of the tub. He placed his weight down, and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. The second foot going in was easier, and once both feet were inside, he started to step down to the floor of the tub. That part was also easier, until both of his legs were fully submerged and he had to sit down. By the depth of the water, it would at least reach above his pectorals, a thought which made his heart pound harder. But he reminded himself that it would NOT submerge his head and, ever so slowly, started to sit down. His hands touched the seat first, and once he'd found it, sitting down was much less harrowing. Once his butt was firmly on the seat, he leaned his back against the side of the tub and waited.

His heart was still racing, and his breaths were heavier than normal, but he wasn't having a panic attack, and the water felt nice, so he breathed in deep and released the breath heavily, causing ripples to spread across the water in front of him. He finally looked at Silver, who was sitting quietly right where he'd been, and was beyond relieved to see that there was  _no_ judgement in his eyes. He was simply watching, intently, like he was making sure everything was okay and nothing more.

The fact that Silver wasn't judging him made it easier for Gold to relax, and he finally worked up the courage to jokingly say, "I know I probably look pathetic. I beat all 8 Johto gyms but I'm scared of a little bit of water."

He expected Silver to joke back, but instead he maintained the stoic look on his face when he answered, "You don't look pathetic. Don't even joke about that."

Gold was stunned to silence by that response, and he stared stupidly back at Silver as the redhead leaned back and put his elbows on the side of the tub. This caused his chest to raise several inches out of the water and Gold had to stop himself from staring at the now fully-revealed pecs Silver was inadvertently showing off.

Silver then averted his eyes slightly so that he wasn't looking directly at Gold when he went on, "People aren't born afraid of the water. Something happened. You don't ever have to tell me what it was, but I  _know_  something happened to make you  _this_  afraid. And most people would rather live with their fear than bother trying to get over it. So, in my book, you don't look pathetic. You look like you've got balls of steel."

If Gold hadn't been blushing before, he certainly was now. He was being so understanding, considerate, and unbelievably supportive. Every day, Silver kept giving Gold more and more reasons to be completely baffled that this was the same man he'd known five years ago. He told himself, in those moments, that he was going to have to  _stop_  drawing comparisons between who Silver used to be and who he was now because the redhead had  _more_  than proven that he was a completely changed man. And the thought that  _he'd_  had something to do with that change made Gold's chest burn with pride.

Before Gold was able to say anything in response, though, Silver told him to wait there and climbed out of the tub. As his body emerged from the water, Gold couldn't stop himself from gaping this time. Droplets of water slid over Silver's muscles and his wet skin glowed under the lights. Damn him for being so attractive. He was making it  _very_  difficult for Gold to keep his cool around him. Gold watched as he stepped out of the tub and approached the mini fridge. He opened it and pulled out two cans of what Gold could now see was beer he'd probably put in there earlier that morning. He tossed one of the cans to Gold, who tried to catch it but missed his grip due to his hands being slippery. The can plopped into the water and sent a wave of water up into Gold's face.

Gold chuckled as the can bobbed to the surface of the water. He heard the sound of Silver's can opening when the redhead descended back into the tub and to his spot. Gold took his own beer before the heat of the water warmed it up too much and opened it slowly in case his terrible catching skills had caused it to be shaken up. Only a small bit of beer shot out and hit him in his forehead, so he counted that as a win. As he took his first drink, he noticed Silver looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

Gold then lowered his can and said, "What?"

Silver's eyes averted immediately and he said, "N-Nothing."

The redhead then turned his attention to his own beer and Gold raised an eyebrow in confusion. It obviously had been something. Silver didn't do anything without a reason. He tried not to dwell on it too much, though, as he was  _still_  sitting in a tub full of his worst fear. However, as the minutes had passed, his discomfort  _had_  lessened quite a bit. Of course, he was certain the company had had  _something_  to do with that. He finished off his beer and placed the can to the side in time for Silver to say, "If you're feeling okay, I want to try one more thing before we call it a day."

Feeling elated due to his first major step, Gold felt more than confident enough to answer, "Sure."

Silver leaned back with his elbows on the side again and said, "I want you to try putting your head underwater."

Aaaaand, the confidence was gone. That didn't take long. The main reason sitting in the tub hadn't been terrifying in the first place was because he knew his head  _wouldn't_  be underwater. But now...he wasn't sure he could do this. He stared down at the water, and he couldn't stop himself from picturing hands reaching up and dragging him under. He could see his hands visibly trembling under the water and he shoved them down to his sides and clenched his fists to stop them.

Silver seemed to notice his fear and moved closer to him, sitting to his left only about a foot away. He kept his voice calm when he said, "I won't force you, but this  _is_  the next step. You can't stop being afraid of the water unless you can submerge yourself in it."

He knew Silver was right, and he knew if he was going to get over this fear, he was going to have to take it the whole nine yards. Anything less would not suffice. He breathed out another heavy breath and answered, "I know, and I want to do it. It's just..."

Gold's whole body jolted slightly when he felt Silver's hand on his shoulder. He glanced at the hand and then at Silver's face. The redhead maintained his normal, stoic expression when he said, "I know. You don't have to rush or anything."

He was being so unbelievably patient. And the hand on Gold's shoulder calmed him so quickly that it was almost scary. It was as if Silver was transferring his own confidence into Gold, through nothing but a simple touch. After he pulled his hand away, Silver made the motion of plugging his nose and said, "When you go under the first time, plug your nose to keep the water out. Once you're okay with doing it that way, I'll tell you how to do it without plugging your nose."

Sounded easy enough, but he knew it wasn't, not really. Still, Silver believed he could do it, so he knew he had to try. He took a few deep breaths to try to prepare himself before plugging his nose and starting to lower his head into the warm water. Everything was going smoothly until the water reached his eyes, at which point, he jerked his head back up. His chest ached with shame and embarrassment, and he covered his eyes with one of his hands in an attempt to cover the red in his cheeks.

Silver, however, remained patient and said, "No worries. Just try again."

_Okay, Gold._  Gold told himself.  _Get your shit together and just do it. You're the one who's in control. This_ isn't _scary._

He repeated those words in his head again and again as he closed his nose and went back in for another go. This time, he didn't stop, even when his heart started pounding even harder. He inched his head all the way into the water and as soon as he felt the water close over the back of his head, he knew he was fully submerged. For the first several seconds, it was torture. His chest wrenched and he thought the water might swallow him. After that, though, his heart rate slowly started to go down, and the tension in his muscles began to wane.

By the time he needed to come up for air, his body had almost completely relaxed. And when he surfaced, it was with a surprised grin on his face. He'd done it. He'd submerged his entire body underwater and he hadn't fallen into an anxiety attack in the process.

He moved the soaked hair that was sticking to his face and threw Silver his trademark grin as he said, "I did it."

Silver gave him a thumbs up. "Try it a few more times that way and-"

"No," Gold interrupted. "I wanna try it the other way. How do I do it?"

Silver raised an eyebrow. "I told you that you don't have to rush it."

Gold shrugged and answered, "Yeah, I know. But I've always been a pretty fast learner, so..."

He wasn't even bragging was the funny thing. His mother showed him how to stitch clothing one time and he learned it. He saw a man juggle one time and figured out how to do it. Hell, it only took him falling off his bike one time for him to first learn how to ride it. And he didn't want this to be any different.

Silver didn't seem to want to argue either as he said, "All right, if you're sure."

Gold nodded, so Silver went on, "Take a breath like you did before, and when you go under, start slowly pushing the water out through your nose. But don't let it out too quickly. The goal is to stay under as long as you can while keeping the water from rushing up your nose."

Simple enough directions. Now Gold just had to hope that he didn't screw it up. He took the breath as instructed and quickly submerged his head like he had before. However, as soon as he felt the water start to rush up his nose, he panicked and blew out  _all_  of his air to expell it, which resulted in him having to raise his head immediately. He flew into a coughing fit, but he audibly gasped when he felt Silver's hand on him again, this time on his upper back.

"You okay?" the redhead asked.

Through his coughing, Gold nodded and managed to choke out, "Y-Yeah."

Silver then withdrew his hand and said, " _That's_  what happens when you let the air out too quickly."

Gold let out a strained chuckle. "You don't say?"

Silver half-smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. I did the same thing when I first learned how to swim. Just try it again."

Gold was having a hard time picturing Silver making a fool of himself like that, but he didn't question it and finished catching his breath. Once he was prepared, he tried again, this time blowing out a small amount of air as soon as his nose went under. It worked. The water stayed out of his nose as he  _very_  slowly let out the air in his lungs. He stayed under for at least ten seconds before he raised his head again, and released a sigh of relief. As stupid as he knew it was, he couldn't help the pride that welled in his chest. Not only had he climbed  _into_  the water, but he'd managed to keep himself submerged  _without_  plugging his nose.

Without stopping to say anything to Silver, he dunked his head again, reveling in the high of finally accomplishing everything Silver had wanted him to do that day. And he didn't stop after the second dunk. He kept it up until he was sure he'd gone under the water at least a dozen times. After he emerged for the last time, he was about to say something to Silver when he noticed that the redhead's eyes were closed and his head was dipped forward. Sometime during Gold's dunking craze, Silver had dozed off. Hardly surprising. The water was really warm.

His head was leaned so far forward that the ends of his red hair danced across the top of the water, and because his elbows were still propped on the sides, his entire chest was revealed. Gold knew he needed to wake him. He should have  _already_  wakened him, but his mouth refused to form the words. This was an opportunity he wasn't sure he would get again, an opportunity to just  _look_  at him; his peaceful expression as he slept, his still-glowing skin, the toned muscles of his chest. She'd been annoying about the whole thing, but his mom had been absolutely right about one thing. Silver was gorgeous. Utterly and completely gorgeous.

Unfortunately, Gold wasn't able to keep staring holes in him as Silver's eyes fluttered open and his head raised abruptly. He glanced about the room once and his eyes fell onto Gold. Gold averted his eyes as he could feel the heat in his cheeks and he didn't want to make Silver uncomfortable.

Luckily, the redhead seemed too groggy to notice as he said, "Sorry. Didn't mean to doze off like that."

Gold shook his head. "It's fine. I was done anyway."

Silver then looked over his shoulder at the clock on the wall. "Well, then you ready to call it a day?"

Gold grinned. "Sure. Lemme just go under one more time."

He wasn't sure why he wanted to do it again. Probably to show Silver that he could, not that it was a particularly impressive display. He took his breath and went under again. He heard Silver shifting through the water next to him, and the next thing he felt was Silver's hand on his shoulder. The touch, while comforting before, caused Gold's eyes to close tighter and, for the first time in years, he experienced a flashback.

He felt a hand on the back of his head, holding him under. He felt himself struggling against the hold. He felt his lungs burn from lack of oxygen. He felt the water flood his nose and his lungs. He felt the pain that comes right before you lose consciousness. All of this sent him launching his head out of the water, sending a wave over the side of the tub and down the stairs. His eyes were wide and he took short, shallow breaths as his heart slammed against his chest.

"Gold?"

Silver voice snapped him out of his trance and he exhaled a heavy breath. Breath. Breathing. There was air in his lungs, not water. There was no hand on the back of his head. He was standing next to Silver, in his basement. Nothing was happening. Everything was okay. He turned his head to look at Silver, and the grave look in the redhead's eyes told the story of his worry.

For the fourth time, he touched Gold, this time on his bicep and said, "Yeah, we're done. Let's go."

He motioned for Gold to follow him and climbed out of the tub. Silver went for the towels hanging above the mini fridge and handed one to Gold. They dried themselves off as best they could and took their shirts before heading upstairs to change back into their dry clothes. Silver disappeared into his bedroom and Gold went into the bathroom. Even though the flashback was over, he could still see and feel his entire body trembling as he stripped out of the wet trunks and put them in the bathroom sink.

He leaned forward with his hands braced on the sink and stared into the mirror. His face was completely devoid of color, which only served to make him feel worse. He couldn't believe he'd let himself have a full-blown flashback in front of Silver. As if him shaking like a child inside of the hot tub wasn't bad enough... He turned on the sink to let the cold water run, cupped some of it inside of his hands, and splashed it on his face. The cool water soothed him a bit, but not enough. Silver had been right to want to help Gold overcome this. He needed to. These flashbacks and panic attacks could  _not_  be allowed to stand.

He finished dressing himself and walked out of the bathroom, only to find Silver sitting on the couch. He tried to prepare himself for the barrage of questions he  _thought_  were about to come his way.

But he found he didn't need to worry as Silver simply half-smiled and asked, "You wanna go get some dinner? I know a diner in town that makes the best damn waffles you've ever had in your life."

Dammit. It was like the redhead could read his mind, or something. He just  _knew_  that Gold didn't want to talk about this, and he reacted accordingly. How did he do that? How did he just  _know_  what to say at all times? Gold didn't know, but he did know  _one_  thing. This was just one more thing Silver did that was making it  _way_  too easy to fall for him.

Hoping that food might take his mind off daydreaming over the redhead, Gold answered, "Yeah. That actually sounds awesome."

Silver stood and said, "All right. Let's go."

Gold followed Silver out of the house and through the city. It was getting later so there weren't that many people walking around. And when they arrived at the diner, they found it was also mostly devoid of people. There were only two or three other tables sitting down and eating, so Gold knew they had a chance of getting their food pretty quickly. They walked in and took a seat at one of the booths right before a blonde, voluptuous waitress approached and her eyes fell immediately on Gold. He saw the flirtatious look in her eyes and groaned internally.

_Oh no_.

He found he was right to be worried when she said, "What can I get you to drink, handsome?"

She then placed her note pad onto the table and bent over it, clearly trying to show off her cleavage. He glanced over at Silver, who had an amused look on his face. Gold's eyes narrowed and he muttered, "J-Just water for me, thanks."

She turned her head to Silver and said, "How 'bout you?"

"Same," Silver answered.

The woman started writing, but Gold could see that it wasn't their drinks she was writing down. It was instead a phone number that he could only guess was hers. She ripped the paper off of her note pad and slid it toward Gold until her fingertips were touching his hand. She winked and said, "Use that if the spirit moves you."

He hated this part, the part where he had to break it to her that he was  _not_  interested and would never  _be_  interested. He gently pushed the paper back toward her and said, "Sorry. You're  _very_  pretty, but it's wasted on me. I'm gay."

He saw the look of disappointment fall over her face as she took the paper back. She then looked over at Silver and said, "Well, that's a damn shame."

Gold knew immediately what the woman was thinking. She didn't have to say it. She thought Silver was his boyfriend and that they were on a date. His cheeks stung with heat, and as the waitress walked away to get their drinks, he covered his face with his hand.

He groaned out loud this time and said, "Sorry, Silver. I gave her the complete  _wrong_  idea about you and me."

Silver shrugged. "Whatever. It'll stop her from flirting with me, so..."

Gold's eyes grew slightly wider. Wait...Silver didn't care? He didn't mind that their waitress now thought they were dating? So he...wasn't bothered by other people thinking he was with a man? The implications were huge, and before he was able to stop them, thoughts came flooding into his head. Did that mean Silver was okay with  _being_  with a man? Did that mean Gold  _actually_  had a chance? The more he thought about it, the warmer his chest became until he was sure it would burst into flames.

The thoughts were still swimming through his head when the waitress returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Silver had to literally snap his fingers in front of Gold's face to snap him out of his thoughts, and Gold realized he hadn't even looked at the menu. He was about to start scrambling to look when he remembered one of the dishes advertised on the outside window.

He decided it would be good enough and stuttered out, "Y-Yeah. Just, um...give me the waffle breakfast with the strawberry and whipped cream."

She started scribbling and asked, "How do you want the eggs, and do you want bacon or sausage?"

Eggs? Bacon? Sausage? Dammit, why did there have to be so many options while he was going through a damned internal crisis? He managed to stammer out "over-medium" and "bacon" before the waitress turned to Silver. Gold couldn't pay attention to what he ordered, and remained silent until the waitress walked away.

Silver then leaned back into the booth and crossed his arms as he asked, "You okay? You're acting weird."

Lie. Come up with something quick. He managed to calm his stuttering and said, "Yeah...sorry. I always get uncomfortable when women flirt with me."

He hoped Silver bought it. But even if he didn't, the redhead didn't inquire further, and a short silence fell between them. During that silence, Silver turned his head to look out of the window. From the stern look on his face, Gold could tell he was thinking about something, but before he could ask what it was, Silver said, "Can I ask you something?"

He wasn't sure why Silver felt the need to obtain consent for asking a question, but he answered, "Of course. What's up?"

Silver's eyes met his and the redhead asked, "Why did you never challenge the Elite Four?"

Well...it wasn't exactly a nice conversation topic, but Gold decided he'd take it. At least it would get his mind off of pining over Silver. He took a sip of his water and began, "Mom was diagnosed with the tumor not too long after I defeated Claire. Mom tried to tell me to go on and challenge the Elite Four anyway, but I refused. I knew she needed me there with her. Then, as she got sicker, my days were full of chores and doctor visits, so traveling wasn't exactly a possibility."

He paused to take another drink as his throat was drying due to the pain of discussing such a thing. "And then...when it was clear that none of the treatments were working, I didn't want to leave her for even a day. I still don't really like leaving her alone for any length of time, but she's insisting that I go out and have my own life, so..."

He hoped he didn't sound too dejected. He didn't want their day being ruined by him talking about such sad things, especially since he'd taken such a big step with the water today. Silver didn't seem bothered, however, and simply asked, "Is there  _no_  treatment out there that could help her?"

Gold's lips curled into a smile at Silver's concern for his mother. "No. The doctor keeps looking at all new possibilities, but so far he's found nothing."

Silver's eyes fell to the table, and Gold could see that the answer to his question bothered him. Even though it was awful that Silver was helping Gold shoulder such a burden, Gold had to admit that it was nice to actually  _have_  someone to share the burden with besides Crystal.

The waitress then returned with their food and made a quip about them enjoying it before disappearing back behind the counter. The two men spent a couple of seconds poking their food around with their forks before Gold decided he had his own question.

"Silver?" he said.

The redhead met his eyes. "Hmm?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Gold said, "But I was kinda wondering...what happened to your dad?"

Silver scoffed and started cutting up part of a biscuit with gravy. "My old man decided he was gonna go into hiding over a decade ago. He couldn't stand the shame of knowing his entire criminal enterprise was taken apart by a damn teenager."

Gold swallowed a bite of his own food and asked, "So, what, you never see him?"

Silver shook his head and chased a bite of his food with some water before saying, "Not very often. He e-mails me sometimes, and he always sends me money on my birthday and Christmas, but that's about it.'

Sends him money...on Christmas? Gold's eyes widened again, and he said, "Wait a minute. Are you saying you've always been alone on Christmas?"

Silver shrugged. "It's no big deal. I'm used to it."

No big deal? Maybe to Silver it wasn't a big deal, but for Gold... He would have to remember to tell his mom about this the next time he saw her. Silver may have spent the past however many Christmases alone, but Gold was determined that he would not spend another one that way. They finished their food in mostly silence and when the waitress brought the ticket, Silver snatched it up quickly.

Gold gave Silver a stern look and said, "You should at least let me pay for my food."

Silver shook his head and pulled a five and three ones out of his wallet to leave on the table for the waitress. "I got it, Gold."

_He invited you out to dinner_ and _he's paying. You know what that means?_  Gold forced the ideas to quiet almost as soon as they popped into his head.  _Stop it, you idiot_. He told himself.  _It doesn't mean anything. Don't try to_ make _it mean something_.

Silver asked if he was ready to go, and Gold nodded. The two of them headed for the cashier to pay, and, on the way over, a young, brunette woman walked by. She accidentally hooked her foot on one of the chair legs nearby and lost her balance rather quickly. Silver reacted faster than Gold could and took her arm to stop her from falling.

He asked her if she was okay, and Gold heard her chuckle before she turned her head and said, "I'm okay, thank-"

The smile on her face died as soon as her eyes fell on Silver's face. Gold looked at Silver and saw that his normal, stoic expression had been replaced by what could only be described as dread. His lips trembled as they parted and he said, "Annie?"

The woman yanked her arm back swiftly, and a glare shot across her face, "Oh, he remembers my name? That's fresh."

Gold had never seen Silver back down from someone so quickly as he did as soon as those words left Annie's mouth. His eyes became downcast, and his entire body tensed up as Annie turned to Gold. She looked him up and down and said, "You his newest victim? Be careful of this one. He's got a reputation for dumping people on street corners once he's gotten what he wanted out of them."

She didn't wait for a response and stormed off, leaving a very stunned Gold and an utterly humiliated Silver. Several eyes in the cafe were on them, and Gold knew he wasn't going to be able to get Silver to tell him what had just happened unless they could get out of the diner. So he took the cash that Silver had been meaning to pay with out of his hand, along with the bill, and placed them both in front of the cashier. He muttered, "Keep the change," before taking Silver by his wrist and leading him out of the cafe.

Once they were outside, and away from the prying eyes of the cafe patrons, Silver shook his wrist away. He raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose before running his hand down his face and exhaling heavily. Gold hadn't expected this to happen. He wasn't sure  _why_  he hadn't been expecting it, though. He knew perfectly well who Silver used to be. He'd delt with what he thought was the worst of Silver for a whole year. It should have come as no surprise that he wasn't the  _only_  person to see that side of Silver. He supposed he'd been living in a bubble, foolishly believing that Silver's past would stay in his past. But it's never that easy. He should have known that.

Silver kept his eyes averted as he motioned for Gold to follow him. Gold didn't say anything and followed behind him as he led him through the city and toward the beach. The bottom of the sun was just starting to touch the horizon as Silver climbed up on one of the rock faces on the beach and walked to the end. He sat down, and released another heavy breath, as if preparing himself for the conversation that was about to happen. Gold took a seat next to him, and while his mind was flooding with questions, he thought it would probably be best to let Silver break the silence this time.

Thankfully, the redhead didn't make him wait long, and said, "I'm sorry."

Gold didn't figure telling him  _not_  to apologize would do any good, so he simply asked, "Who was she?"

Silver's shoulders tensed up tighter and he pulled one of he knees to his chest. He hooked his hands around his ankle before saying, "Remember what I told you about abusers?"

Of course he remembered. The fact that Silver had drawn a parallel between himself and Anthony had made Gold's stomach turn before. But now, he understood why Silver did it, and probably why Silver hated Anthony as much as he did. He didn't want to risk speaking for fear of his voice cracking so he simply nodded and waited for Silver to carry on.

Silver looked out over the ocean and said, "I toyed with her. I told her everything that she wanted to hear so that I could make her believe that I wanted to be with her. Then, as soon as I convinced her to sleep with me...I left her, like she was a pile of fucking garbage."

Gold wasn't at all surprised to hear that explanation. He'd pretty much gathered that from Annie's statements. But to hear Silver say it, and to hear the pained tone in his voice with every word was enough to crack Gold in two. Silver regretted it. He  _really, truly_  regretted it to the point that Gold could see that it was tearing him apart inside.

Silver wasn't finished, though. His fists clenched tightly and he said, "And she wasn't the only one. There were...so many others."

Again, not surprising, but Gold could see in Silver's eyes that he remembered all of them; all of their names, all of their faces. And he was berating himself on the inside for the pain he'd caused them all. To see him struggling like this, now that he  _knew_  that Silver was  _no_  longer that person, made Gold's chest ache. He wanted to say something, anything to comfort him, but all of his words seemed insufficient. He'd never experienced what Silver was experiencing now, at least not to this degree.

Silver's eyes fell to the ground and he repeated, "I'm sorry, Gold. I never wanted you to have to see any more of the shit from my past. You went through enough of it already."

The sheer agony in his voice was enough to make Gold's eyes mist over. No. He had to say something. Even if it seemed insufficient, even if it sounded cliche and dumb. He  _had_ to. Silver  _needed_  him to. Silver needed to know that he wasn't going to hold his past over his head or blame him for it. So he repeated what Silver had done several times today, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

Silver glanced at the hand in surprise before Gold said, "You're not like that anymore.  _You_  know that.  _I_  know that. If you're gonna beat yourself up over it, there's nothing I can do to stop you. But you need to know that  _I_  don't blame you."

At that last statement, Silver's eyes darkened again, and he hung his head. No. Dammit! The goal had been to make him feel better. What had he said wrong? Silver's lips parted again and he said, "If anyone has the right to blame me, it's  _you_. I hurt those girls, but I only did it once. But you..."

Of course Gold hadn't forgotten the long, drawn-out bullying campaign Silver had put him through. Every time Gold accomplished anything, it seemed like Silver was there to remind him that he was  _still_  worthless. That was why their first couple meetings after the five years had been so cold. But Silver had proven so quickly that he was a changed man that Gold had simply pushed the bullying to the back of his mind. Maybe that was what Silver needed to hear.

He squeezed Silver's shoulder once before pulling his hand away and saying, "When you first walked into Professor Elm's lab that night, I still saw you as that ass hole who spent an entire year tormenting me. But when I saw what you tried to do, when I saw you try to give Feraligatr back, my entire view shifted. The guy I knew, the guy who had been such a complete pile of crap, he  _never_  would have tried to return a Pokemon that he'd stolen. So I guess I sort of compartmentalized in my mind."

As he spoke, he saw the pained expression fade from Silver's face. Gold grinned slightly before carrying on, "What I'm trying to say is, the guy who did all that crap six years ago, and the guy sitting here aren't the same person, not to  _me_  anyway."

Finally, Silver turned his head and looked at Gold. Gold met his eyes, and all of the air left his lungs when he saw how Silver was looking at him. His gaze was intense, but there was something behind it, something that made his chest flutter like a school girl's. With how he felt about Silver, he couldn't trust that it wasn't simply wishful thinking, but that  _something_ , it looked like adoration. He wanted to react to it. He wanted to scoot closer to Silver, wrap an arm around him, and... But he couldn't do those things. Not when he wasn't even sure if Silver liked men, much less liked  _him_. So he did the only thing he could do. He looked back, and he tried to match Silver's gaze with one of his own, one he hoped would convince the redhead that everything he'd just told him was true.

And Gold could have kept looking into Silver's eyes until the sun set, but they were interrupted by the sound of a scream echoing across the beach. Both of them turned, and Silver shot to his feet when he saw what Gold saw: Annie sprinting across the beach with an angry Kingler hot on her tail.

Before Gold could even react, he saw Silver pick up a large piece of driftwood and take off in Annie's direction. He shot past her and shoved the driftwood straight into the Kingler's larger claw, blocking its attack and causing it to stumble backward. Gold saw him reach for a pokeball, and when it opened, Silver's Magneton emerged from the white light and charged for the Kingler without hesitation. Everything seemed to be okay until Gold heard Annie scream again. He turned around and saw her face-to-face with yet another Kingler, presumably a relative of the other one.

He reached for his Shiftry's Pokeball and was about to throw it when Silver suddenly appeared and put himself between Annie and the Kingler. Gold's heart pounded harder as he threw the pokeball and rushed toward Silver at the same time. Shiftry emerged out of the white light, and its giant leaves caught the Kingler's claws.

When he reached Silver's side, he saw the redhead turn to Annie, take her by the shoulders and ask, "Are you okay?"

Annie's eyes were wide and her entire body was trembling, but she managed to nod. Shiftry and Magneton made quick work of the Kingler, who then scurried back into the ocean. Magneton floated up to Silver and chirped happily. Silver grinned and raised his hand to pat it on one of its three heads. It spun once and floated up to Annie before dancing a circle around her and nuzzling her on the side of her head. The previously frightened woman seemed to calm at Magneton's kindness and smiled.

"Good job, Magneton," Silver said before returning the Pokemon to its ball.

Gold turned to his own Pokemon and said, "You too, Shiftry."

As Gold returned Shiftry to its Pokeball, he saw Annie cross her arms and tuck them tightly under her breasts. She glanced uncomfortably to the left before asking Silver, "Why did you protect me like that?"

Silver looked at Annie and it seemed like he was gonna try to answer, but he stopped. Turning to Gold, he asked, "Sorry, but could you give us a minute?"

Gold nodded. Of course this wasn't a conversation Silver would want to have with someone else listening in. So Gold gave Annie's shoulder a squeeze as he walked by and headed over to one of the empty picnic tables on the other side of the beach. He was well out of earshot, but he could still see the the two of them clearly. As both of their lips moved, he watched Annie's reactions, hoping that she wouldn't lose her temper like she had in the cafe. As the minutes passed, however, he watched her body language slowly shift. Her arms dropped to her sides, indicating she was no longer uncomfortable, and eventually her lips were not moving anywhere near as much as Silver's. It was amazing to see Silver speaking so much, but Gold imagined that he had a lot to tell Annie.

After Silver was finished speaking, an unbelievable thing happened. Annie smiled and stepped forward before wrapping her arms around Silver's neck and hugging him. Gold wanted to say that the only thing he felt in those few seconds was happiness, happiness for Silver because he was able to make amends with someone he had wronged. But happiness wasn't all he felt. Despite knowing that he and Silver weren't a couple, and despite knowing that he probably wasn't into men, Gold couldn't stop the green-eyed monster from rearing its ugly head. And the monster only shouted louder when Silver returned the hug, and Gold saw Annie whisper something in his ear before kissing him on his cheek. Gold swallowed heavily and clenched his fists, trying desperately to calm himself. But that became increasingly difficult when Annie not only snatched Silver's pokegear off his belt, but started pushing buttons, obviously giving him her number.

What Silver did next confused Gold, though. He placed his hand over top of the Pokegear and said something to Annie. Though Gold was out of earshot, he saw the look on her face, and it was identical to the one the waitress had given  _him_  when he'd broken the news that he was gay. Did that mean...? Had Silver just rejected Annie? Had he just told her that he wasn't interested? That certainly seemed to be the case as Annie smiled and shrugged her shoulders in an "Oh well" sort of fashion. But then, she did something that only confused Gold more. She gave Silver his Pokegear back and turned toward Gold. She made eye contact and winked at him before turning to leave, running her hand over Silver's shoulder as she went. Okay...what the hell had just happened there?

He didn't have much time to question it, though, as Silver was headed in his direction. When the redhead reached the table, he said, "Sorry about that."

Gold threw on a grin and said, "It's okay. I'm glad you made up. Did it help?"

Silver turned his head to the left and a genuine grin painted his lips as he said, "You know what? I think it did."

Gold stood and said, "Good."

Silver motioned for him to follow and they headed back toward his house. It was late by this point, and as much as Gold wanted to stay longer, he knew he needed to get back. He had an early day at work the next day. When they made it to Silver's door, Silver opened it and looked like he was about to let Gold in when he stopped.

Gold already had his Altaria's pokeball ready when he said, "Sorry, but I need to head home. Early day tomorrow."

Silver half-smiled. "I figured as much."

Gold threw the pokeball into the air and Altaria emerged, shaking its cloud-like feathers as it prepared for flight. Before Gold could climb on its back, however, he felt Silver's hand on his shoulder. He turned as the redhead said, "Before you leave, I'm giving you some "homework.""

Homework? The word made Gold laugh out loud, and he asked, "Really? And what "homework" would that be?"

Silver reached up to pat Altaria on the head, and the bird chirped happily before Silver answered, "Before the next time I see you, you have to at least  _try_  to take an actual bath, not a shower."

Of course. After all the drama with Annie, Gold had almost forgotten about his "swimming" lesson that day. He'd mentioned to Silver that even sitting in a bathtub was too much for him before, so it made sense that Silver would ask him to do that very thing on his own. And after he'd managed to not only sit in the hot tub for a length of time, but also put his head under the water, he thought he could probably handle taking a bath.

So he nodded and said, "I will."

Silver nodded back and headed for his door. He turned one more time before heading inside and said, "Goodnight, Gold."

Gold smiled at him. "Goodnight, Silver."

The redhead then walked inside and closed the door, leaving Gold and Altaria alone outside. He should have climbed on Altaria's back immediately. He should have already been flying away. But his feet didn't want to move. He'd had this feeling before, only once in his life, and that was before Anthony revealed his true colors. He felt the invisible string tugging him toward Silver, and making him not want to leave. Still, he pried his feet away from the ground and gently lifted himself onto Altaria's back. It cawed loudly and took off into the sky.

The further he got from Silver's house, the harder the string tugged. This was bad because it told him one thing: he was falling hard, and he was falling fast.


	8. The Confrontation

_Three days. It's only been three freaking days_. That's what Gold told himself as he headed upstairs to do his "homework." He'd been avoiding taking the bath for the past few days because every time he thought about doing it, his mind inevitably would shift to thinking about Silver and how he was  _already_  itching to see him again. As he ran the water into the tub, he couldn't help thinking about how damned ridiculous this was. He was  _not_  a clingy person, never had been. In fact, he despised clingy people, which was another reason (apart from the abuse, of course) that his relationship with Anthony had been so tough for him. Anthony had been not only clingy, but controlling, and Gold didn't want to share even  _one_  of that ass hole's traits. Yet, he still wanted to see Silver, which meant he was going to have to risk appearing a little bit clingy.

He stripped out of his clothes and climbed into the tub, not even registering the fact that he was doing something that, before four days ago, he  _never_  would have been able to do. His mind was too busy swimming. He  _could_  call Silver and ask if he was busy, but what would they do? Silver had said he was okay with simply hanging out, and he liked it when Gold cooked for him. It wouldn't be any trouble to stop by the grocery and buy some stuff to cook for dinner. But, at the same time, did he want to do that? He still didn't know if Silver was even  _interested_ in men, and every time he visited the redhead it seemed like his feelings for him grew. Did he really want to keep visiting Silver so much, and keep letting his feelings get stronger, only to find out that Silver isn't interested?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a knock on the bathroom door followed by his mother saying, "Gold? Are you all right, honey? I don't hear the shower going."

"Yeah, Mom," he called back. "I'm fine."

He saw the doorknob start to turn and she said, "Well, I'm coming in because you have a phone call."

He was about to shout at her to wait, but she pushed the door open too quickly. When her eyes fell on him, they widened and she had to catch herself on the doorframe to keep from stumbling due to the shock. At first he was confused by her reaction, but then he remembered. He hadn't actually told her about Silver helping him get over his fear of the water. He'd been more concerned with telling her about Christmas and recanting the story of what went down with Annie. She didn't say anything about it, though, shakily approached the tub, and held his pokegear out to him. He reached for a nearby dry washcloth and dried his hand before taking it.

He waved at Miranda as she went to leave and answered the phone, "Hello?"

Gold's chest fluttered a bit when he heard Silver's voice say, "Hey, Gold."

"Silver?" Gold answered.

Now this he hadn't been expecting. For Silver to call him once was already unbelievable to him, but now he'd been the one to call two times in a row. Well, perhaps he'd been acting stupid when he'd been worried about appearing overly clingy. Silver calling twice in a row proved that he didn't find Gold's continued presence an annoyance.

Keeping the excitement from his voice, Gold said, "What's up?"

Silver chuckled and said, "I guess I don't have to ask if you did your homework."

Gold glanced down at the bath water he was sitting in and said, "Yeah, your timing is awful. I literally  _just_  got in the water."

There was a short pause, followed by Silver asking, "Well, you think you're up for the next step? I'm off today."

Once again, Gold looked down at the water he was sitting in. He wished Silver had called  _before_  he'd hopped in the bathtub. Finishing the bath now would be pointless since he was just gonna be jumping into some more water later. So he used his free hand to release the water in the tub and stood up, placing the pokegear to the side so he could keep talking while he got dressed.

"Sure," he answered, "Let me just throw some clothes on and I'll head over there."

It wasn't until they said bye and hung up that Gold realized he'd completely disregarded all of his former doubts about seeing Silver. It seemed, once he was faced with the possibility of seeing him, he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from accepting, no matter how apprehensive he was about Silver's interest in him. He went to his room to put on some clean clothes and headed downstairs. He found Miranda sitting at the dining room table with a photo album in front of her.

Wondering what she was up to, he sat down across from her and said, "Mom? What are you doing?"

She smiled and pointed to a picture in the top right corner of the album. It was a picture taken when he was still a child, probably no older than eight. There was a roller coaster in the background and he was holding a plate with a funnel cake on it. Powdered sugar coated the edges of his mouth, and Miranda was knelt down next to him with a damp napkin about to wipe it off. He remembered that trip well. It was their first trip to an amusement park together since his dad had died. She had to scrimp and save for over a year to afford the trip.

"I remember," she said, "When I took you here. I chose  _this_  park because I knew it had a water park. I was hoping that if I took you somewhere fun, maybe I could convince you to get back in the water after..."

 _No_ , he told himself  _Don't think about it. You're meeting with Silver today to take the next step in getting over this crap. Don't think about what caused it._

He saw tears start to well in her eyes when she went on, "Then, after you almost had a panic attack just setting foot in the kid's pool, I gave up. I shouldn't have, but I did. I'm your mother. It was  _my_  responsibility to help you get over that fear."

Her hands were trembling, so Gold reached across the table and took them in both of his, hoping to offer her some kind of comfort. He softened his voice and said, "Mom, you don't have to-"

"I do," she said. "Because I thought I'd failed you. I thought I'd doomed you to be afraid of water forever, but now you... When? When did you stop being afraid?"

Well, he couldn't avoid it now. He'd have to tell her, even though he  _knew_  it was only going to make her even  _more_  insufferable with her matchmaking. He gave both of her hands a squeeze and said, "I'm not exactly over it  _yet_. Silver just helped me be okay with sitting in the bathtub. It's not much, but-"

"It's everything!" she interrupted, "The bathtub was where it started, Gold!"

 _Dammit_. He really wished she'd stop trying to remind him. He knew perfectly well, and he needed to keep his head screwed on straight if he was going to work with Silver today.

She finally squeezed his hands back and leaned closer as she said, "I knew I was right about him. He  _is_  good for you."

And there it was. That didn't take long. He sighed and pulled his hands away before leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms. "Mom, will you  _stop_  trying to play matchmaker already?"

She scoffed and said, "As if I need to. You're falling for him all on your own."

He sighed heavily and covered his eyes with his hand, "Give it a rest, Mom. I don't even know if he's interested in me  _that_  way. I don't even know if he likes  _men_."

He felt her tiny hand take his wrist and pull his hand away from his eyes. She smiled at him and said, "Trust me, dear, he's interested, even if he doesn't know it yet. He's already called you and invited you over twice. He didn't have to do that."

His eyes fell to the table. "I know... I've thought about that."

She took the hand she was holding and held it between both of hers. "You don't need to do anything more than what you're already doing. I think he'll fall for you, and he won't even realize it until it's already happened."

There it was, that ridiculous optimism his mother was so known for. It was amazing to him how someone with a terminal illness could remain so damn chipper all the time. She then picked up the photo album and took it back to its spot on the nearby bookshelf. Turning back to him, she said, "Well, get going, young man."

He smiled at her enthusiasm, and headed for the door. He wasn't going to jump to conclusions and assume she was right, but keeping any kind of distance from Silver was clearly going to be impossible. So he called his Altaria and shoved all of his doubts to the wayside. They were doing him no good, anyway.

* * *

When Gold knocked on Silver's door, the redhead didn't open it this time, either, and instead shouted for Gold to come in. When he did so, he was immediately taken aback by the sight of Silver standing in the kitchen, completely shirtless and drinking a cup of water. The groceries hanging from Gold's arms prevented him from covering his face to hide the blush that flushed across his cheeks at the sight. Silver put his glass down and rushed to Gold's side, evidently not having noticed the red in the younger man's cheeks.

"Sorry, Gold," Silver said, taking some of the bags. "I completely forgot you were bringing groceries. I would have opened the door for you."

Gold wasn't worried about that, though. He was more concerned about Silver's proximity. He almost wished Silver realized how alluring he was making himself, but, at the same time, if he knew it, he would probably keep his shirt on, so Gold decided he'd have to pick his poison.

After Silver helped him put away the groceries, Gold asked, "So what are we doing today?"

Silver handed him a pair of swimming trunks that were sitting on the counter and answered, "We're heading to the beach."

The beach? As in...the ocean? That instantly didn't sit well. The hot tub in Silver's basement was one thing. It had a limited depth and there was pretty much no chance of him drowning, but Gold knew how treacherous the ocean could be. He'd crossed the ocean to get to Cianwood before he'd been able to teach his Altaria to fly. One slip up and he could be carried away in the tide.

He must have somehow been making his discomfort physically known because Silver calmly said, "Don't worry. I know a spot that's good for beginners...and it's out of sight from the main area where everyone likes to gather."

Out of sight? That was good too. The last thing he needed was a bunch of tourists watching him piss himself from stepping into the water. And if Silver said the spot was good for beginners, Gold believed him. So he took the swim trunks and headed to the bathroom to change. He emerged without his shirt and found Silver waiting by the front door. One of his hands was running through his long, red mane and Gold thought he might swoon at the sight. Damn him. He truly had no idea how mind-blowingly attractive he was.

Silver opened the door and motioned for Gold to follow, and he did. Silver led him to the beach, past the large crowds of people, and beyond several rock faces until they reached a spot where the ocean water had formed a small pond. There were rock faces on almost all sides of the pond, the only connection to the outer ocean being a smalll gap between two of the rocks. Even if the tide became fierce, they would scarcely feel it in this enclosed area. Silver had been absolutely right about it being perfect for beginners.

Silver glanced at him with his typical half smile and asked, "You ready?"

Gold nodded, and Silver started walking into the water. Gold followed close behind him, but he stopped when the water reached his shoulders. Silver, however, kept going out into the deeper parts and shifted onto his back with a confidence Gold could never have shown while being in such deep water.

Silver let himself float to the surface and lay perfectly on the top of the water before saying, "This is what I'm gonna teach you today."

Floating? That was it? When Silver had mentioned that they were going to the ocean, Gold had figured that this would be their first actual swimming lesson. Learning to float seemed infinitely easier than that. Silver then waved his arms and brought himself back to the shallows before touching down next to Gold and saying, "In order to float, you have to be able to trust the water, and swimming pretty much requires you being able to trust the water."

Trust the water? Gold wasn't sure he'd ever be able to fully trust the water, but if Silver needed him to learn how to float, he was certainly going to try. He'd already come this far, after all. Silver moved to his side and said, "Lean back and let your arms float to the top of the water."

Gold blew out a heavy breath and did as he was told, his heart racing the whole time. Once his arms bobbed to the surface, Gold's eye twitched at the introduction of Silver's hand touching him on his upper back, right below his neck. Like it had in the hot tub, Silver's touch calmed him slightly.

That is, until the redhead told him, "Now pick up your feet."

And the anxiety was back. That didn't take long. Picking his feet up would turn every bit of control over his body to the water, and that thought made his body tremble and his heart pound hard enough he was sure Silver could feel it.

Silver, ever patient, calmly told him, "You have to trust me, Gold. I won't let you sink."

His words calmed Gold, but only slightly. His body was still tense and his nerves wracked. And this was only made worse by Silver placing his hand against Gold's lower back. Gold hadn't thought it possible for his muscles to wind tighter, but they did. It was bad enough being asked to pick his feet up, but having Silver's hand so close to his butt was doing him  _no_  favors. Not to mention, Silver was so close to him that he was able to feel the redhead's breaths brushing his ear. Add to that the fact that Silver was still very much shirtless, and this was  _not_  an ideal situation for Gold to be learning much of anything.

Still, he knew he couldn't stall forever, so he unglued his feet from the ocean floor and had to hold back a gasp when Silver's hands pressed up against his lower back and started to lift him. His body eventually rose to the surface, and he froze like that, his every muscle rigid. His heart rate had increased to the point that it was more of a hum, and his fists were clenched so tightly he could feel his nails digging into his palms.

Silver, in a calm, warm voice that sent chills through Gold's body said, "Relax."

Gold's body seemed to obey before he'd even decided anything in his head. The tension in his muscles began to lessen, his heart rate slowed, and his fists unclenched. Silver had kept his word. He wasn't letting Gold sink, and that meant Gold's mind was free to focus on other things, like the fact that he could now feel Silver's breaths passing over his chest.

And with Gold's newfound calm, came the desire to speak, so he said, "This...isn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be."

"Good," Silver said, "Because I have to move my hands."

Move...his hands? As in, stop holding Gold up? The thought shook him so deeply that he started picturing himself as a five year old boy again, being taught how to ride a bike. He remembered begging his mother not to let go of the bike when they first took the training wheels off. Now he found himself in a similar situation, looking at Silver with what he was sure were pitiful eyes, silently begging him not to let go.

Silver gave a warm smile and said, "It's okay. You're already pretty much floating on your own. You just have to stay relaxed."

 _Easier said than done_ , Gold thought. But he knew that staying nervous would do him no good. If anything, it might cause him to freak out and start flailing, which would make it so Silver would have to bail him out. He was determined  _not_  to let that happen, so he closed his eyes, and started taking long, deep breaths. He started scrambling to find something, anything to focus on besides Silver's hands and the fact that they were about to move. The continued tingling of Silver's breaths passing over his chest seemed as good a distraction as anything, so he honed in on those breaths and the goosebumps they were making appear all over his body. As the second went by, he could feel the anxiety slowly start to leave his mind as the pleasant feeling of Silver's breaths soothed him.

He waited for several more seconds, just to be safe, and then said, "Okay, I think I'm ready for you to move your hands."

He heard a light chuckle, and when he opened his eyes to see what Silver was laughing about, he saw that the redhead was holding both of his hands up next to his head. A smile painted his lips, and Gold couldn't help but smile back. He'd been so focused on  _not_  freaking out that he hadn't even felt Silver's hands move. How long had he been floating on his own? He wasn't sure, but now that he knew he was doing it on his own, he was able to forget all of his previous anxieties and simply revel in the cool water and Silver's continued breaths.

Not much time had passed, however, when Gold noticed Silver's attention be piqued by something. A grave look fell over his face and he suddenly pushed Gold's legs down, making him stand straight up. Gold was about to ask what was happening when he found himself being led, by the wrist, out of the water. When they were both on dry land, Gold opened his mouth to ask what was happening again, but he was interrupted by the sight of a red laser pointed directly at Silver's chest. Eyes wide, he turned to follow the laser and saw a black-clad man with a red R on his shirt sitting on one of the rock faces, a rifle in his hands. Coming from the direction of the beach were two other rockets, one of them the blue-eyed man from before.

Silver kept his now angry eyes trained on the Rockets when he whispered, "Just don't make any sudden moves. I'm not gonna let them hurt you."

He wanted to reassure Silver that he wasn't afraid for himself, but he was unable to say anything as the blue-eyed Rocket sarcastically said, "Hi there, Silver. How's the burn?"

Silver scoffed. "Go fuck yourself."

The Rocket laughed out loud, "Such language. Need I remind you that we have a rifle trained on you?"

"Need I remind  _you_ ," Silver bit back, "that you've pointed guns at me before and it's done you no damn good?"

The Rocket sneered back, "Yes, but this time your boyfriend doesn't have his shotgun."

The man took a step closer, and Gold felt Silver's arm come across his chest and gently push him. He understood that Silver wanted him to step back so he did, but he didn't like where any of this was going. Neither of them had their Pokeballs, and there were no weapons anywhere in sight. If either he or Silver made one wrong move, they could both be shot.

The Rocket stopped where he was and crossed his arms. "Just tell us where the vault is and how to get inside of it, already. You have to be just as sick of this game as we are."

Silver spit at the Rocket's feet and snapped, "Do I have to tell you to go fuck yourself again?"

The Rocket then looked directly at Gold, which sent a chill down the younger man's spine. What was he looking at  _him_  for? He didn't know anything about the vault.

"I wonder," the Rocket said, "how your boyfriend feels about you risking your life  _and_  his just to keep a secret that only matters to your father."

Gold decided then that he'd had enough of the man's taunting and clenched his fists as he exclaimed, "I'm  _not_  Silver's boyfriend, and I'm  _not_  gonna let you use me to berate him into talking!"

The Rocket raised an eyebrow and made some sort of gesture with his right hand as he said, "Oh, really?"

The Rocket with the rifle then shifted the aim of his gun so that instead of pointing at Silver's chest, it was dead center of Gold's forehead. Gold didn't have enough time to register this fact, though, because, without hesitation, Silver stepped between him and the gun. Gold's eyes grew even wider and he stared at the back of Silver's head as he realized what had just occurred. Silver just put himself directly in the line of fire without even considering his own safety. As frightened as that made Gold, he couldn't help but also feel exhilarated to know that Silver cared enough to protect him like that.

One look at the blue-eyed Rocket, though, let Gold know that something was amiss. His shit-eating grin had grown several inches and he made another hand signal to the Rocket with the rifle as he said, "We're done for now. We have what we came for."

Gold saw Silver's body stiffen at those words, and when he looked at the redhead's face, a look of sheer horror painted his normally stoic features.  _We have what we came for._ What had the Rocket meant by that? Gold couldn't begin to guess, but from the look on Silver's face, he clearly knew. And whatever it was had made the redhead more frightened than Gold had ever seen him.

Once the Rockets were gone, Gold saw Silver's fists clench tightly and heard him whisper, "Fuck!"

Before he could ask Silver what was wrong, the redhead took off in a  _very_  fast stride, heading back toward his house.

* * *

_Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!_  Silver said to himself as he trudged across the sand and in the direction of his home. What the hell had he been thinking? Not only had he put Gold in danger again, but, with this newest confrontation, he'd now put Gold in danger  _permanently_. He'd played  _right_  into their hands and gave them  _exactly_  what they wanted. After all this time, after all of the confrontations with these manipulative Rockets, he  _still_  hadn't learned a damn thing.

He could hear Gold calling after him, but he couldn't face him. Not now. Not when he'd just doomed Gold to a life of constantly looking over his shoulder and wondering when the Rockets might show up. He threw open his front door, not even bothering to close it before he rushed off to his bedroom, closed and locked the door. He shoved his back against the wall across from the bed and leans his head back, staring at the ceiling in utter despair. This was all his fault. Gold, the most good, caring, and amazing person he knew was now permanently locked inside of Silver's dark, sadistic world, and there was  _nothing_  he could do to change it.

He heard Gold knocking on the bedroom door and pleading for Silver to let him in, begging to know what was going on. He needed to tell him, he  _knew_  he needed to tell him, but it would require admitting something that he wasn't entirely sure he was ready to admit.

Gold knocked again, harder this time, and said, "Silver, please! You can't just shut me out!"

No. Of course he couldn't. Not now.  _Especially_  not now. He'd put Gold in danger, and now the only thing he could do was make sure to protect him, and that would require letting him in and making him aware of everything that was going on, no matter how difficult the conversation might be. He exhaled heavily and went to open the door. Once it opened, he saw the frantic look on Gold's face and stood aside to let him in. As Gold moved toward the center of the bedroom, Silver went back to his place against the wall, trying to mentally prepare himself for what he was sure was going to be the hardest conversation he'd had in his whole life.

Gold, ever the loveable fool, asked, "Are you all right?"

Silver didn't want to risk giving a verbal response yet, so he simply shook his head. No. None of this was all right.

The already worried look in Gold's eyes became more intense and he asked, "What happened? What did he mean, " _We have what we came for_?"

He had to start slow. If he didn't, he was libel to blurt it all out at once and make a fool of himself, so he simply began, "That whole thing was a test."

One of Gold's eyebrows raised in confusion. "A test?"

Silver leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling again as he went on, "They've figured out that threatening me doesn't do any good. They've tried it over and over, and they know I won't tell them anything, so they needed a new angle. And I... I just fucking gave it to them."

Gold was obviously still confused as he said, "What? How? You didn't do anything."

If Silver hadn't been so distressed he might have taken a moment to be amused at Gold's ignorance. He was just so damned pure, so unbelievably good, that he was completely incapable of thinking like a manipulator. That was a small favor at least.

Silver's eyes fell to the floor then, unable to look Gold in the eyes as he finally said, "They knew threatening me wouldn't work, so they pointed the gun at you to see how I'd react."

The cogs in Gold's head seemed to start turning as he said, "And you stepped in front-"

"And I stepped in front of the damn gun!" Silver growled, not wanting to hear the words come from Gold's mouth. They were painful enough coming from his own.

Silver then pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes and said, "Now they know...that they can get to me through  _you_."

The room went totally silent for what seemed like ages. Gold was either stunned to silence or was unable to come up with a response. Both seemed equally likely. And during that silence, Silver had time to start thinking, thinking about how, if he'd never brought Gold his Pokegear back, none of this would have happened.

His hands fell from his eyes and he said, "I should have known this was a bad fucking idea."

Gold, it seemed, found his voice because he asked, "What was a bad idea?"

Silver pointed at Gold and then at himself and exclaimed, "This! Letting you get this close to me! I should have known it would just put you in danger! I should have kept my fucking distance rather than risk your life! But I didn't! I just kept calling you and kept agreeing to see you! Now a bunch of psychotic criminals are after you!"

The heat in his cheeks was intense and he could feel his eyes misting over when he concluded, "You would be better off if you still hated me."

Evidently, that final sentence lit some kind of fire under Gold as the younger man stomped up to Silver, reared his hand back, and slapped him across his face. It stung like hell, and before Silver could break out of his surprised daze, Gold's hands were on his shoulders.

The younger man pushed his shoulders roughly, pinning him to the wall as he exclaimed, "Don't  _ever_  fucking say that again!"

Silver couldn't even begin to offer any sort of response, far too stunned by Gold's reaction. He saw the fire burning behind Gold's eyes as he went on, "I  _knew_  what I was getting into, Silver! I  _knew_  there was a chance Team Rocket would come after you again and I  _knew_  that might put me in danger too! I'm not an idiot!"

He squeezed Silver's shoulders tighter and said, "Do I have to remind you that  _I_  was the one who drove Team Rocket out of Mahogany Town, the Radio Tower  _and_  Goldenrod's underground tunnels!? And I did that  _alone_ , with  _way_  more than three Rockets gunning for me!"

Gold loosened his grip on Silver's shoulders at that point, and his voice calmed, along with the fire in his eyes when he said, "I don't want you worrying about me, Silver. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for a long time."

Silver's head was having a war between two very different emotions in those moments after Gold finished telling him off. There was one half of his brain berating him for being so damned foolish. Of course Gold could take care of himself. Silver had always known he was strong, which was one of the reasons he was so jealous of him for so long. But now that they'd been faced with some danger, he'd suddenly forgotten all about that strength? How utterly and completely ridiculous.

The other emotion, though, was one he couldn't quite place. It felt somewhat like pride, but that didn't seem like quite the right word. All he knew was hearing Gold tell him off had made Silver feel more exhilarated than he had in quite a long time. It felt good to see Gold let loose and stand up for himself, especially after how many times Silver had attempted to tear him down five years before.

So he conceded to Gold and said, "You're right, Gold. I was being stupid... I'm sorry."

Gold's hands released Silver's shoulders and he threw on his doofy grin. "No worries. It's nice that you care enough to even worry in the first place."

Care? Yeah, it was blatantly obvious now that he cared. He cared more than he ever realized. He hadn't even hesitated to step in front of that gun, knowing if the trigger was pulled, he'd probably die. He knew he'd put himself in similar danger for Annie's sake, but he  _also_  knew it had been more out of guilt than anything. That wasn't the case with Gold. He wasn't even going to try to convince himself that it was because it would be pointless. He'd put himself between Gold and that gun because he couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to him. And that was a terrifying thought.

Gold, it seemed, was ready to get on with their day, though, as he asked, "So you ready for dinner?"

Silver half-smiled. It was comforting to know that Gold could still be annoyingly chipper even after losing his temper. Silver nodded and followed Gold out of the bedroom. The younger man headed for the bathroom and said something about washing off the sea water before closing the door. Silver heard the shower turn on, and decided he'd wait in the living room.

He turned on the TV and started flipping through channels until a particular film caught his eye: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Not a great film by any definition of the word, but it was one of his guilty pleasures, so he went ahead and played it. The film was only about fifteen minutes in, so he knew he hadn't missed much. He kept watching until it came to a scene he knew very well. The two main characters were about to sneak off together to have sex where no one else could see them. A cliche scene if he'd ever seen one, but he never minded watching it simply due to the actress. She had several features he found attractive, so the scene always stirred something in him.

However, as the scene progressed, he realized something strange. He felt...nothing, not even the slightest amount of titillation. He even tried focusing his attention on the parts of the woman he'd always found attractive, but still nothing. That was...beyond weird, but he simply chalked it up to him still recovering over what had just happened with Gold and the Rockets. He kept watching the film until he heard the bathroom door open. At that point, he turned to see Gold walking out of the bathroom, still missing his shirt, with a towel on his head. He was drying his hair, so the towel obscured his eyes, but his eyes weren't want Silver was focused on.

Silver's eyes moved from Gold's shoulders, down his chest, and eventually to his abs slowly,  _too_  slowly. His eyes honed in on the beads of water dripping slowly over the raised muscles on Gold's arms and sides. But the fact that his eyes were drawn to all these things wasn't what frightened Silver. What set his heart to racing was the appearance of a familiar feeling, the one that had been missing when he'd watched that scene from the film. As soon as the realization occurred, he tore his eyes away and turned back toward the TV, trying to focus on something,  _anything_  other than what had just happened.

Gold walked past the couch and said, "Ha! This movie is so delightfully awful!"

Silver wanted to joke back. He wanted to say that he agreed and talk about all of the things that made the film bad, but his lips were sealed shut. Whether he knew it or not, Gold had just awakened something in Silver, something that the redhead  _knew_  he wasn't even remotely prepared to face.


	9. The Father

He'd been avoiding Gold. As much as he tried to tell himself he  _wasn't_ , he knew he was. Gold had called twice in the past two weeks wanting to hang out, but Silver had come up with an excuse both times. He could hear the disappointment behind Gold's voice both times he turned him down, and he hated it, but he honestly wasn't sure how to face him now. Before, he'd wanted to hang out with Gold because he simply enjoyed his company and he wanted to make amends with whom he saw as the greatest victim of his year-long tirade. Now, though, the reason wasn't so simple. He wanted to see him because he hated the idea of  _not_  seeing him, because, while he hadn't been paying attention, he'd developed feelings he didn't even know he was capable of.

He'd never even  _looked_  at a man before, so absolutely none of this made sense. And it wasn't as if he'd never had the opportunity to be with men. He'd wandered into gay bars by accident before, but he'd never been interested, despite some  _very_  attractive men pining for his attention. So what the hell was going on? How could he suddenly be feeling this way about Gold when he'd never felt that way about a man before? It didn't seem possible, and yet...

There was no denying how he'd felt when he looked at Gold, shirtless and fresh out of the shower. And this discovery made so many other things make sense: like why he'd been so nervous when Crystal had implied him and Gold might be a couple. Or when he'd blushed upon seeing Gold changing clothes after he'd pulled him from the water. And that moment, in the hot tub, when he'd found himself staring in Gold's direction and unable to look away. He'd assured the younger man it was nothing, but it sure as hell didn't seem like nothing  _now_. Or what about when the waitress assumed he and Gold were on a date and the thought didn't even phase him? And then there was that moment on the beach, right before Annie had been attacked, when he and Gold had just...looked at each other. Looked? No. Now that he knew about the feelings stirring in his chest, that no longer seemed like mere  _looking_. More like  _staring longingly_.

He sat on his sofa with his head in his hands, unable to fathom how this had happened. How he'd come to feel so strongly so quickly. It wasn't as if he'd been actively seeking this sort of thing. That had never been his intention, but Gold just made it so damned easy. He was kind, considerate, and unwaveringly loyal. He'd never met anyone like him in his whole life, which was why, he assumed, he'd followed him around for almost a year trying to defeat him. Wait... Had it even gone back  _that_  far? Had his prolonged campaign against Gold simply been a cover for how he'd  _actually_  felt about him? It would make sense. Back then, he wasn't capable of expressing any emotion besides anger, so turning to bullying the person he was attracted to wouldn't have been all that crazy.

All these thoughts were making his head throb, and he leaned back against the couch. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

A loud noise pierced his ears and made his head throb again, and when he turned he found it was his Pokegear ringing. He reached for it and saw "Gold" written in the caller ID. Though he still wasn't sure he was ready to see him, he pushed the answer button anyway and said, "Hey, Gold."

Silver knew immediately that something was wrong when all Gold said back was, "Silver."

His voice...there was absolutely none of his typical optimism behind it. He sounded pained, almost as if he was holding back tears. Silver's mind instantly assumed the worst: Miranda. Had something happened to Miranda?

"What's going on, Gold?" he asked.

He heard Gold take a breath and answer, "Crystal's dad died, some kind of freak hiking accident."

Crystal's dad? He felt a wave of relief crash over him as he realized Miranda was okay, but that was quickly followed by a sickening guilt for being relieved at all. Crystal was Gold's best friend. Silver shouldn't be feeling relief. He should be feeling sad for her, and for Gold. Gold had clearly been close with Crystal's dad, otherwise he wouldn't sound so dejected. But, as he was clearly trying to keep his emotions in check, Silver wasn't going to prod him about it, so he simply asked, "How is she?"

"She's holding it together as best she can under the circumstances," Gold answered. "She wanted me to call and ask if you're coming to the funeral with me and mom."

Gold might have meant for that final sentence to sound like a simple inquiry, but his weakened mental state had obviously stunted his ability to keep his emotions from his voice. His absolutely pitiful tone proved this wasn't an inquiry, it was a plea. Gold either wanted or  _needed_  Silver to be there, but he wasn't about to sacrifice his pride and ask outright. And after he had given Gold bullshit excuses the last two times he'd called, Silver couldn't blame him.

So Silver responded, "Yeah. I'll be there. When is it?"

"Tomorrow," Gold answered, "9:00 a.m. at the funeral home in New Bark Town."

Luckily, Silver had the next day off so he didn't have to worry about calling in. So he said, "All right. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Gold hung up after that. A cool farewell to be certain. Silver sat the pokegear down and leaned forward, cradling his head in his heads. He couldn't keep doing this. He couldn't keep avoiding Gold. Not only had he resolved to protect Gold from Team Rocket, but, as much as he hated to admit it, he simply didn't want Gold to be gone from his life again. And he decided he wasn't going to let these newfound feelings control him to the point that he would drive Gold away. No matter how hard it might be to continue to see Gold with these feelings intact, he knew it would be much harder to watch the younger man walk away.

* * *

Silver arrived at the funeral home at a quarter till 9:00 wearing a pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket, the only remotely nice clothing he owned. He searched through the crowd of black-clad mourners waiting outside until he found Miranda and Gold standing near the front entrance. Miranda wore a plain, spaghetti-strapped black dress with flat black shoes while Gold wore an unbuttoned black blazer with a black button-up shirt and a pair of black pants. Shiny, leather dress shoes adorned his feet. He approached the pair to greet them, and Miranda opened her arms to hug him. When he accepted the hug, she heard him whisper her thanks for him coming, but he wasn't able to focus on her.

Gold's cheeks were completely devoid of color and a hard, cold expression painted his face. Clearly, Gold and Crystal's father had been far closer than Silver realized. It was hardly surprising, though. Crystal  _was_  Gold's best friend and he  _had_  lost his father young. It would be reasonable to think that, with the lack of a father, Gold might have found a father figure in Crystal's dad. He was about to approach the younger man to speak to him when the mourners suddenly started filing into the funeral home. Being pushed along by the crowd, Silver wasn't able to say anything, so he decided his talk with Gold would have to wait.

He moved along with the crowd until they all made it to the chapel. He followed Gold and Miranda to a pew, where he sat beside Gold. It took several minutes for everyone to find a seat, but when they did, a hymn started playing. Silver saw Crystal, dressed in a long, flowing black dress with embroidered net sleeves, approach the podium that sat right behind the open coffin. Her dad didn't share her hair color, and as Silver looked upon him, he could still see hints of youth in his face. The man couldn't have been any older than 45, which made his death all the more tragic. He'd still had so many years left to spend with his daughter, and now he would never see them.

The hymn quieted and Crystal's voice echoed through a microphone, "Thank you all for coming."

Her voice, much like Gold's had been, was strained and her entire body tense. He could tell that there was a whole dam full of tears welled up behind her eyes and she was trying like hell to hold it back. He didn't know Crystal well, but it was heart wrenching to see the normally smiling, bubbly woman reduced to such a state. The universe was a cruel place, indeed.

As she gave the eulogy, Silver started to hear sniffles and quiet sobs coming from people in the pews. Miranda was among those to start crying, but Gold, he remained just as stoned faced as he had been when Silver had first arrived. Why? Why was he holding back from crying? This was one of the instances that people were not only expected to cry but  _encouraged_  to do so. Holding in such sadness wasn't good for anyone, and he especially didn't want to see Gold harmed by this attempt to hold back his emotions.

Crystal's voice started to crack half-way through the speech, but other than that, she delivered the speech flawlessly, never even needing to stop to collect herself. Silver truly admired her willpower. She was far stronger than she looked. Once she was finished, she descended from the podium and began searching around the room, apparently looking for someone. As if reading her mind, Gold stood and shimmied his way out of the pew, heading right in Crystal's direction. Of course. She was looking for her best friend. Who else would she be looking for?

Silver followed, but kept his distance in order to make sure Gold and Crystal had their space. As soon as Gold reached the blue-haired woman, the floodgates holding back her tears seemed to instantly lift, and she collapsed into Gold's arms. They both went to their knees and Gold held her tightly as she released ugly, guttural sobs into his shoulder. Silver expected this might be Gold's breaking point, that he might finally allow himself to cry, but apart from a slight twitch of his left eye, his face remained stoic. This was becoming worrisome.

Crystal sobbed for at least another whole minute before she shakily pulled away and Gold helped her to her feet. Her face was bright red and caked with tears, clear snot was leaking from her nose, and her eyes were bloodshot. Gold reached into his pocket, drew out several kleenex, and used one of them to wipe the tears from her face. She took the rest from him and started blowing her nose. Silver could not hear them, but he saw their lips moving, and after Crystal seemed to finish talking, she finally noticed him.

She waved Silver over, and he wasn't about to deny her. He stood at Gold's side, and Crystal pulled him into a gentle hug. Once she pulled away, she said, "Thanks for coming. I know you didn't know him, but it means a lot."

Silver knew it was probably only a small comfort, but he placed a hand on her shoulder and answered, "It's no trouble. I'm sorry about your dad."

She nodded and turned around to look at the other mourners. Several of them were hugging each other, some others were sitting alone and crying, and some were simply comforting their loved ones. Silver truly hated funerals. Seeing so many people in so much pain all at once was never an easy thing.

Crystal sniffed and wiped her nose one more time before saying, "I guess I'd better go and see some more people. I'll talk to you guys at the barbecue."

Barbecue? Silver knew, then, who had probably been in charge of the food. Leave it to Miranda to have a barbecue for a funeral.

Thinking of Miranda, of course, made Silver also think of Gold, and he turned toward the younger man, who was looking on after Crystal. Well, there was no one else around talking to him, so Silver figured this was as good a time as any to speak to Gold. However, when he approached and tried to speak to him, Gold held up his hand.

Silver halted in his tracks as Gold said, "Not yet."

Gold then turned and headed back toward Miranda. Not wanting to push him, Silver followed silently, but the longer Gold kept his stoic mask on, the more concerned Silver became.

* * *

The chapel emptied out after another half-hour of mourners hugging each other and crying, and everyone headed outside to the barbecue. Although Silver questioned how many people there would actually  _want_  to eat. Unlike at Miranda's house, neither she nor Gold were actually doing the cooking. A catering service delivered the sides, and there were three grills side-by-side with three people on them cooking burgers, hot dogs, and bratwurst. The sides ranged from mash potatoes and mac 'n cheese to cole slaw and baked beans. Everything smelled amazing, and Silver couldn't deny he was looking forward to this part.

He stepped into the food line behind Gold, who was still remaining completely silent. Silver wracked his brain, but he simply could not comprehend why Gold was behaving this way. It seemed completely out of character and, frankly, it was disturbing. He kept his eyes trained on the back of Gold's head for most of the time they stood in line, hoping he might eventually see the younger man exhibit  _some_  kind of emotion, but it wasn't meant to be. The two of them made their plates and their drinks, and Gold started heading in the direction of the white tables strewn about the yard.

However, he didn't sit at any of them and instead bypassed them completely. Okay, now Silver was  _very_  confused. He followed closely behind Gold, and the younger man led him around to the back of the funeral home where Silver noticed a wooden bench sitting next to a concrete path. It was there that Gold finally sat down, but he didn't touch his food. Instead, he put his plate and drink on the ground. Silver figured this was probably where the talk was going to happen, so he followed suit.

Once Silver was seated, Gold leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and said, "Go ahead."

Silver leaned forward in a similar manner and asked, "Why are you holding back? It's not like anyone's gonna judge you for crying at a funeral."

Gold shook his head. "It's not that. I just...don't want to make today about  _me_."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Gold sighed and looked at the ground. "There's only one funeral home in New Bark Town, so where do you think  _my_  dad's ceremony was held?"

Oh... Now it made sense. Gold was thinking about his dad, maybe even mourning his dad, because they were at the same funeral home. Was that truly what was keeping Gold from letting himself cry?

The younger man brought one of his hands up to cover his eyes and said, "It's selfish and stupid. This is  _Crystal's_  day. Her dad  _just_ died. And here I am sitting here thinking about my own dad, who's been dead for years."

Selfish? He really thought it was selfish to be thinking about his own dad at a funeral? Nevermind, his reluctance to cry was  _definitely_  in character. Like he always did, he was being completely and utterly selfless. As amazing as it was that Gold cared so much about others, Silver couldn't help but wish he would learn to care more about himself. Watching him torture himself as he'd been doing the whole funeral was nothing short of painful, and he knew he needed to convince Gold to lay down this ridiculous burden.

So he asked, "Do you really think Crystal would be upset if she found out this funeral reminded you of your dad? Hell, she probably  _expected_  that."

"I know," Gold answered, "But it's...it's not right. This is John's freaking funeral, and I'm not gonna let myself cry over someone else while  _he's_  about to be six feet under."

Gold's sadness was obviously making it impossible for him to think clearly, so Silver told him, "Who says you can't mourn both? Mourning your dad isn't gonna diminish how much you cared about John. And it's not like Crystal or anyone else is going to know  _who_  you're mourning unless you tell them."

To Silver's surprise, Gold released a sarcastic laugh. Confused, Silver asked, "What?"

Silver saw Gold's expression finally start to shift. His eyes closed tightly for only a second and then opened again, misted over with tears. His lips curled into a trembling smile and he said, "That sounds like something my dad would have said."

Those words seemed to be his breaking point as the tears he'd been holding back the entire funeral finally started to pour from his eyes. He covered his face with his right hand, clearly trying to keep his face obscured, and Silver couldn't blame him. Crying in front of someone else at all had to be difficult enough. Hoping to ease his pain, if even a little, Silver lay his hand against Gold's back, right below his neck. As much as he hated seeing Gold's tears, it was preferable to him bottling it all up. Silver knew better than most people the consequences of bottled up emotions.

After a few more seconds of Gold sobbing, Silver's attention was piqued when Miranda rounded the corner, evidently knowing about this particular spot. As soon as her eyes fell on Gold, she was in front of him, knelt over with her hands on either side of his face. Their eyes met for only a second before she moved in and hugged him tightly around his neck. Feeling like a third wheel, Silver decided he'd leave and give the mother and son their moment.

However, when he stood, he felt a strong hand grasping his wrist. He looked back and saw Gold looking at him. The younger man's eyes were still overflowing when he choked out, "You...don't have to leave."

Silver wasn't sure what use he was going to be there, but if Gold wanted him to stay, he wasn't going to argue. So he sat back down and waited for Miranda to finish doing what she did best: making Gold feel better. It didn't take long. The woman had a way of reaching into a person and bringing whatever happiness they had to the surface, a quality he was certain Gold had inherited.

By the time Miranda was finished talking to him, Gold had stopped crying. She handed him a few tissues, and kissed him on the forehead before heading back out to the barbecue. Gold did his best to clean his face, and when he was finished it was mostly back to normal, apart from moist eyes and bright red cheeks. Silver, though, he wasn't sure what to say now. What  _could_ he say? He was bad at small talk on the best of occasions and this was a damn funeral.

As if reading his mind, Gold was the one who broke the silence and said, "You've been avoiding me."

Silver's chest stung with guilt at the statement, although Gold hadn't said it with an accusatory tone. He was simply stating a fact, and Silver wasn't going to attempt to deny it. Hoping it wouldn't make Gold feel worse, Silver answered, "I have."

Gold leaned forward again. "Why? If you don't want to hang out anymore, you can just say it."

_Fuck_. Silver thought. He should have known Gold was going to get the wrong idea. Gold was nothing if not an insufferable worry wart. Silver found that out the first time the younger man had come to his house, and again when he'd helped Gold move the bed. So he knew he needed to alleviate those worries quickly and said, "No. It's  _not_  that. I  _swear_  it's not."

Gold turned his head to look at Silver. "Then what is it? And tell me the truth."

The truth? The  _whole_  truth? Silver didn't think Gold understood how impossible that was at this particular moment. Silver had only  _just_  started to accept the fact that he was, apparently, developing romantic feelings for the man sitting next to him. He couldn't very well drop that on Gold, especially not now of all times. He wasn't even sure he could tell him if they were sitting in his house alone, and Gold  _hadn't_  just been a weeping mess minutes before. It was just...too much. But he could tell him  _part_  of the truth and hope that it would suffice.

He cleared his throat and said, "I've just been...dealing with some shit, and I needed to be alone. It has  _nothing_  to do with me not wanting to hang out."

Gold's eyes narrowed, and Silver almost felt like the younger man was staring right through him when he asked, "Is that  _really_  all it was?"

_Dammit_. He knew. Gold knew he wasn't telling him the whole truth. But in spite of that, Silver knew he wasn't going to be able to tell him everything, at least not yet. So he looked Gold right in the eyes and said, "That's all it was."

He could tell Gold didn't entirely believe him, but the younger man didn't push the matter further and simply asked, "Can I help?"

_Yes_ , he wanted to say. He could help by saying that he felt the same way Silver did, but Silver knew that was far from likely. There was no way someone as good as Gold would ever have feelings for a person like him. Silver grinned and said, "No, I don't think so."

Gold sighed and leaned back in the bench. "All right, but next time you "need to be alone" just tell me. Don't make up some stupid excuse."

Now that was a request Silver could definitely follow, so he answered, "Fair enough."

Gold fell silent after that, and Silver didn't try to make him talk anymore. The younger man probably had a lot on his mind, and Silver knew better than most how soothing silence can be when your mind is screaming at you. The two remained sitting on that bench until Miranda called out to them that it was time to leave for the burial.

* * *

The burial ceremony was short since most people had already said what they wanted to say. The only thing that slowed it was Crystal standing in front of the coffin for too long and needing to be led away by Gold and Miranda. It wasn't until that very moment that the realization hit him: there had been no wife of the deceased. Crystal either never had a mother (like him) or her mother had died. That meant she was orphaned, and since he hadn't seen any brothers or sisters either, it also meant that she seemed to have no one. There were aunts and uncles, of course, and cousins and grandparents, but no immediate family to speak of. That explained why she'd went running into Gold's arms first and why Gold and Miranda were the ones currently leading her away from the cemetery.

Silver stayed behind the trio, not wanting to interfere, but Gold glanced back more than once, as if checking to see if he was still there. It pained Silver that Gold felt the need to check, but after he'd spent the past two weeks avoiding him, he supposed it was to be expected. They reached a black car, presumably Crystal's, and Crystal turned to Gold. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Silver saw her whisper something in Gold's ear, but he couldn't hear what was said.

Afterwards, Crystal walked around the car to sit in the passenger's seat, and that was when Gold mumbled to Silver, "Can I come over?"

Silver was somewhat surprised at the request. He'd figured Gold would want to spend the rest of the day with Crystal. But if Gold wanted to come to his house, Silver wasn't going to turn him down so he answered, "Of course."

Gold then turned to Miranda, who hugged him before saying, "Are you gonna be okay, honey?"

Gold nodded before kissing her on the cheek. "Drive safe, Mom."

She smiled at him, and then turned to Silver. He expected her to hug him too, but instead she stood on her tip toes and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. She then threw him a quick grin and climbed into the driver's seat of the car. The engine started, and she drove away, leaving Gold and Silver to call thier flying Pokemon and fly to Olivine.

Gold was silent the entire trip, which Silver found disconcerting. There had to have been a reason Gold asked to come over, and Silver couldn't help but think he was going to find out the reason as soon as Gold decided to start speaking. After they landed at his front door, Silver unlocked it and let Gold go in first. The younger man went straight to the couch and sat down, staring straight ahead at the black TV screen with his elbows on his knees. Silver closed the door behind them both and joined Gold on the couch, intensely curious to know what the younger man was thinking about so hard.

It took Gold a few moments to finally get up the nerve he needed to speak, but when he did, he stated, "I never told you what first made me afraid of the water."

It was true. Gold had never even given Silver a  _hint_  as to what caused it, apart from his mini panic attack when Silver had touched him while his head was under the water. He had to admit that he'd always wondered what the root of the fear was, but he'd never seen fit to push the issue. Nor was he planning on pushing it now.

"I wasn't going to ask," Silver said. "And you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I know," Gold answered.

The younger man went silent for another few moments, as if gathering his thoughts. During that silence, Silver saw his facial expressions go through several phases. From doubt, to frustration, and eventually to a sort of calm. As soon as his expression held steady, Gold said, "You remember how I told you my dad was in the military?"

"Yeah," Silver answered. "I assumed he died overseas."

Gold scoffed. "If only it were that simple."

He let his head hang and went on, "He came back from his last tour overseas with an honorable discharge. Turns out he'd had a massive PTSD episode and nearly got his entire unit killed. It wasn't all bad, though. He went to a therapist for a while and had the condition under control, for the most part."

For the most part? Silver guessed that was the key phrase, and he didn't like where the story was headed. He kept silent, though, and decided he would say nothing until Gold was finished.

"One night," Gold said, "I think I was 6, and he was giving me a bath. Everything was fine, peaceful even. And then mom dropped a cookie sheet. I heard the  _boom_  from all the way upstairs, and so did my dad. I didn't think anything of it, and then...my head was under the water."

Silver's eyes went wide at that point, and he had to resist saying, ' _You're shitting me_.' Silver had guessed that someone had tried to drown Gold at some point. Otherwise, why would he react to being touched while underwater the way he did? But never did Silver imagine it was Gold's  _dad_  who'd tried to drown him. No wonder he never talked about it before. This was the sort of thing that would have driven most people to be lost in a bottle for the rest of their lives.

Gold wasn't finished, though. He exhaled heavily and carried on, "Luckily, Mom is smart. She figured the sound might have sounded close enough to a gunshot to trigger Dad, so she grabbed the shotgun and ran upstairs. She found him holding me under the water and beamed him over the head with the gun's handle. I never blacked out, but she had to call 911 for Dad."

He swallowed, and Silver could see his expression starting to shift to massive discomfort, which told him that Gold hadn't even reached the worst part yet. And that was frightening.

After another short pause, Gold said, "The Sheriff showed up at the hospital when Dad woke up. He and Mom told Dad what happened, and the Sheriff told Dad the only way he could avoid arresting him was if he agreed to admit himself for psychiatric evaluation. Of course, Dad agreed, but..."

He trailed off temporarily, and Silver didn't like the look that appeared on his face in that moment. It was a far more grave, and far more tortured expression than he'd ever seen on Gold's face before.

"Mom," Gold said, "She tried to explain to me that Dad was sick, that he was "hurting inside" from what happened in the war and that he hadn't been himself. But I was just too damn young. I didn't get it. So when she took me to visit him in the hospital, and he tried to give me a hug, I... I fucking  _backed away_ from him."

That was when Silver saw it, the misty tears glazing over Gold's eyes. The younger man's lips trembled and his fists clenched tightly when he stuttered out, "I-I saw it in his eyes. I didn't understand it then, but...as soon as I backed away, something inside of him  _shattered_. I know it did because the next day, we got a call from the hospital."

Silver was sure his heart was pounding hard and fast enough that his every breath shook. No. Don't let Gold say it...

"Dad had gotten ahold of a shard of broken mirror," Gold said, "They'd tried to save him, but...well, you can guess the rest."

Yes. He could definitely guess. Not that he wanted to. This story was already terrible enough without Silver using his imagination. Silver had done a lot of speculation about what had happened to Gold's father, about what had caused Gold's fear of the water. But this...this was so far outside the scope of what he'd imagine that it was unbelievable. And it only served to show Silver just how iron-willed Gold and his mother truly were. Gold's strength had never been in doubt (nor had Miranda's for that matter), but this... nevermind getting lost in a bottle. Most people wouldn't have even  _survived_  what Gold went through. It explained his utter fearlessness in the face of any kind of danger, his constant desire to see the good in everyone, and his undying loyalty to those he cared about. It just pained Silver that Gold's strength had to come from such an awful place.

Silver saw Gold's whole body tense up, and tears started to leak from his eyes when he choked out, "I just can't help thinking that if...if I hadn't backed away... my dad might still be alive."

Gold was unable to hold back a sob after that, and that was Silver's breaking point. He would listen to Gold tell his story. He would hear his sorrows. But he'd be damned if he was going to let Gold blame himself for what happened to his father. Silver's body reacted to that resolve, and he reached for Gold. His left arm slipped around Gold's shoulder and pulled him in, allowing his head to rest in the crook of his neck.

Silver could feel Gold's hot breaths against the his skin and his tears seep into his shirt as he said, "Shut up. You were a  _child_. There was no way you could have understood what was happening. None of it is on you, so you get that shit  _out_  of your head or I  _swear_  I'll knock it out for you."

Gold either didn't want to say anything after that or couldn't because he just continued to sob silently for a length of time Silver didn't bother keeping track of. Gold had just trusted him with an impossibly tragic part of his life, and the younger man could damn well cry as long as he wanted to. He  _did_  eventually finish, however, and when he did, he pulled away and started wiping his nose with his sleeve. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, Silver reached one of his hands up to wipe the tears off of one half of Gold's face.

It was only when the younger man gave him an utterly baffled look that Silver realized what he'd just done and swiftly yanked his hand away. What...the hell had he just done? More importantly, why had his body seemed to react before his mind had even registered anything? He knew his cheeks were red because they were absolutely on fire when he averted his eyes and stared intently at the floor, determined to avoid explaining what he'd just done. Mostly because he wasn't sure if he could.

Gold didn't seem eager to ask any questions, though, and said, "I'm sorry."

Gold apologizing for things he probably didn't need to be apologizing for? Now  _that_ Silver could handle. Anything to get his mind off of what had just happened.

The redhead jumped on the opportunity and said, "For what?"

Gold leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms. "You said you were dealing with some shit and I just piled on a whole bunch of  _my_  shit."

Silver chuckled and shook his head. "One of these days I'll convince you to stop apologizing for everything."

This seemed like the perfect time to grab a drink, so Silver stood and went to the kitchen. He pulled a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses out of the cabinet before returning to the living room where Gold was still sitting in the same spot. Silver sat next to Gold, a little closer than before, and poured them both a shot.

He handed Gold his glass and said, "I think you've earned this."

Gold grinned and accepted the glass before gently banging it against Silver's. They downed the shots at the same time, and when Gold sat his glass down on the table he laughed lightly.

Silver poured them each another shot and asked, "What's funny?"

Gold picked up his glass after Silver was finished and answered, "I was just thinking about how many things I've done because of my dad. I kept learning how to shoot guns because he started teaching me. I became a Pokemon trainer because he'd always wanted to be one. I picked Cyndaquil because fire was his favorite type. And I drink Tequila because it was his favorite drink."

Now that Silver knew how young Gold was when his father died, it was surprising to him that his father had tried to teach him anything about guns. The lessons had to have started when he was four or five years old, which is awfully young to be handling guns. Not that Silver had any room to talk. Giovanni never once tried to keep guns away from him, so...

Hoping to brighten the mood, Silver clinked their glasses together again and said, "Could be worse. You could have inherited  _my_  dad's shit."

They both laughed at that and downed their second shot. Gold sat his glass down for the second time and asked, "Is it okay if I stay over?"

Well, that was a first. Not that Silver was complaining or anything. He hadn't really wanted to let Gold fly home by himself anyway, so he answered, "Yeah. You can take the bed if you want. I can sleep on the couch."

Gold scoffed. "Don't be stupid. I'm not taking your bed."

Yeah, he hadn't figured Gold would agree to take the bed, but he'd felt compelled to offer anyway. Perhaps the younger man was rubbing off on him more than he'd realized. But the fact that Gold wanted to stay over gave Silver a fun idea.

He reached into the end table and pulled out the two Wii remotes and said, "Well, if you're staying over, I say we get shit faced and see how badly we can suck at this game."

For the first time since they'd gotten back from the funeral, Silver saw Gold's doofy grin, and the younger man took one of the remotes as he said, "You're on."

While Silver turned on the system, Gold poured them each another shot, and Silver couldn't stop a proper smile from forming on his own lips. Despite everything, this day had resolved itself well, and as the two of them fired up the first race track, Silver felt calmer than he had in a good long while.


	10. The Lake

The grating sound of his alarm clock pulled Silver out of a  _very_  heavy sleep. He had to resist throwing the damn clock across the room as he reached out to silence it. His head was heavy and throbbing, all the tell tale signs of a bad hangover. He didn't remember how much he and Gold drank the previous night, but he knew it had to have been a lot because his hangovers usually weren't this bad. He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed before holding his head in his hands and rubbing his eyes. This was going to be one hell of a slow morning.

He threw on a shirt before heading out to the living room. He found Gold still sleeping soundly on the couch and had to laugh at the younger man's position. He was on his stomach with one hand hanging over the side of the couch and one foot shoved under the cushions on the back. Upon looking at the younger man, Silver's eyes went wide as a memory came to him, one that made his heart race.

* * *

_Gold sat next to him with a controller in his hand. They'd both tried and failed to race on Rainbow Road, so now they'd had to downgrade to an easier track. However, the younger man's grip on the controller was loosening and his eyelids were drooping. Silver noticed all of this too late and was helpless to do anything as Gold's eyes closed and he fell sideways. His head landed right on Silver's thigh and the controller fell from his hand._

_Silver knew then that they were done playing, and he was about to wake Gold and make a joke about him "having too much" when Gold shifted in his sleep. He rolled his whole body over, and his arm reached around Silver's lower back, leaving Gold's cheek resting right on top of the redhead's crotch and his nose pressing against his belt. It was obvious that, in his drunken stupor, Gold was mistaking him for a pillow, but that was the last thing on Silver's mind. His chest was on fire, and his head was swimming with a combination of anxiety and exhilaration. And it only grew worse when Gold released a muffled mumble._

_Silver's cheeks grew hot, his heart raced, and the only words his brain would form were,_ "He is fucking adorable."  _And the thought wasn't wrong. Not only was Gold, apparently, not very good at holding his liquor, but he seemed to like to hug things in his sleep, a trait Silver had only ever really seen among children. He knew he needed to move. He needed to wake Gold, make a joke about this, and go to bed, but the longer he sat there, the less he wanted to. Something about this just felt...right, natural. Just like when he'd wiped he tears off of Gold's face. And the next thing he did felt_ just  _as natural._

_A lock of Gold's dark hair had fallen into his eyes, so Silver ran his hand across Gold's forehead and tucked the lock behind his ear, which caused the younger man to mumble again. But Silver didn't pull his hand away. Instead, he let his fingertips trail down the side of Gold's face, all the way to the end of his chin before he placed his full palm against Gold's cheek, his fingertips dipping into Gold's hair. His cheek was insanely warm, and knowing he was touching Gold like this sent a jolt of weakness through Silver that made him have to catch his breath. This was dangerous, incredibly dangerous._

_The younger man stirred again and Silver thought his heart might burst out of his chest when Gold's eyes opened and turned upward. Silver's cheeks burned even hotter and he quickly pulled his hand away before saying, "You passed out, you numbskull. You wanna let go of me so I can go to bed?"_

_Gold muttered something incoherent before raising his head far enough for Silver to move. Silver stood as quickly as he could, and Gold immediately collapsed back down. Silver didn't even bother to check and see if he'd fallen back asleep because he knew he probably had. He wanted to run to his bedroom as fast as he could and slam the door, but he couldn't very well leave Gold on the couch without even so much as a pillow or blanket, so he rushed to the hall closet. He pulled out a spare blanket and pillow, brought them to the couch, and shakily draped the blanket over Gold. Next, he had to gently raise the younger man's head with one hand and slide the pillow underneath it with the other._

_As soon as Gold's head fell against the pillow, he mumbled something again, only this time the words were clearer, "Mmm night...Silver."_

'Dammit, dammit, dammit!'  _Silver thought to himself._ 'He really is adorable.'

_With Gold finally set up, Silver took off for his bedroom, hoping that the alcohol might purge everything that had just happened from his memory._

* * *

Well...the alcohol hadn't worked. He still remembered everything clearly, and it set his cheeks on fire. Even if he had been drunk, how could he have allowed himself to get carried away like that, while Gold was passed out, no less? His chest tightened and he went off to the kitchen to start some coffee, hoping like hell that Gold remembered nothing. The last thing he needed was to have to try to explain to Gold why he'd been touching his face while he was asleep. When the coffee finished, he poured himself a cup and started to take a drink when he heard the sound of a pokegear ringing from the living room. His was in his room, so he knew it was Gold's. Knowing Gold would be waking up, he pulled another cup out of the cabinet and put it beside the coffee maker before heading back into the living room.

He heard Gold answer the phone and say, "Hey."

As Gold sat up, the blanket fell from his back and he turned to sit on the couch properly. Silver took a few steps into the room in time for Gold to say, "How are you feeling?"

Gold listened to whoever was on the other line and said, "All right, Crys, but you call me if you need anything, okay? I'm serious."

Gold hung up after that and stood before stretching his arms over his head. He groaned softly and brought one of his hands up to his head, which told Silver  _his_  hangover was probably just as vicious. The younger man turned around and smiled as soon as he noticed Silver and said, "Morning."

Silver nodded. "Was that Crystal?"

"Yeah," Gold answered. "She was letting me know that her job in Alola has been put on hold for a few months in light of what's happened. She's gonna go off on vacation for a few days to clear her head."

Understandable. Silver couldn't think of a single person he knew who would be able to go straight to work after losing a parent. He silently hoped she would be okay, and told Gold, "I made coffee."

Gold stretched again and said, "Yeah. I smell it."

The two of them then headed into the kitchen. Silver stood at the end of the counter with his own cup of coffee while Gold made his. But Gold liked creamer, so it required him reaching up into the cabinet above the coffee maker to get some. While he was getting the creamer, Silver accidentally glanced in his direction. Gold hadn't bothered to put his shirt on before walking into the kitchen, so Silver's eyes were, once again, drawn to all of that bare skin and those perfectly shaped muscles. Thankfully, he wasn't dripping wet this time, but that did nothing to diminish the ridiculous flutter Silver felt in his chest. He ripped his eyes away before Gold could notice him staring and let his gaze fall to the counter. He wasn't looking anymore, but the image seemed to be burned into his retinas, and he wasn't sure if he liked that or not.

Gold sighed and stirred his coffee before saying, "And  _this_  is why I never drink that much. I never remember anything, and the hangovers are terrible."

 _Never remember anything_. Gold had absolutely no idea the relief those words brought Silver. What he'd done the previous night, he'd never done something like that before. Indeed, he'd never had the  _desire_  to. He'd been with a lot of women, but he'd never felt compelled to touch them like  _that_ , with such...intimacy.

He brought his hand up to cover his eyes.  _No. Stop thinking like that. You were drunk, and your stupid feelings got the better of you. Just let it go._

Gold seemed to have already finished his coffee, and he turned back to the cabinets and started rummaging through them, causing Silver's attention to be drawn to him again. He forced his eyes to stay on Gold's face, however, when he asked, "What are you doing?"

Gold pulled some flour and a few other containers out of the spice cabinet and answered, "I'm making some pancakes."

Silver chuckled and shook his head. "Of course you are."

Gold started rummaging through the refrigerator and asked, "Do you have any chocolate chips?"

"No," Silver answered. "But I can go get some. The shop's right down the road."

Gold started pouring ingredients into a bowl and said, "All right."

Silver took his wallet off of the end table in the living room and headed out of the front door. He walked the short distance to the mart and the jingle of the bell at the front door alerted the woman behind the counter: his friend and co-worker Vanessa. As soon as he met her eyes, he could tell she was scheming something. Since meeting the woman a year ago, he'd come to find that she was not only an insufferable flirt, but also the biggest gossip he'd ever met. She didn't deal in life-ruining gossip, though, so he'd always just let her have her fun.

So when he approached the counter with a bag of chocolate chips, he was unsurprised to hear her say, "A little bird told me that a super hot guy went home with you last night...and he never left."

He rolled his eyes and placed the chocolate chips on the counter. "Oh, really? Was that little bird named Vanessa?"

She smirked. "Oh, my gorgeous ginger, you know me so well."

She scanned the chocolate chips and gave him the total. He opened his wallet to get her the money when she said, "Soooo...?"

He placed the money on the counter. "So what?"

She leaned in closer as she took the money and whispered, "Did you sleep with him?"

At that question, his cheeks burned so hot that he was certain they probably matched his hair. He snatched the chocolate chips off of the counter and said, "For fuck's sake, Vanessa."

She raised both of her arms up next to her head. "Hey, I'm not judging. Just never knew you swung that way."

Every word that came out of her mouth left his face burning hotter. He really wished she would let this go, but he knew she wouldn't. He took his change from her and said, "It's not...like that. Nothing happened."

She smirked again and cocked her head to the side. "No...but from the look on your face I'd say you  _wanted_  something to happen."

He didn't know what was worse, the fact that she was saying such things so blatantly or the fact that he couldn't deny it without lying. He wasn't entirely sure  _what_  he wanted to happen, but after he'd touched Gold's face so tenderly he couldn't exactly pretend he didn't want  _something_.

But he wasn't going to feed her any further, so he turned and said, "Bye, Vanessa."

She leaned over the counter and called out, "Oh, come on! You can't just leave me hanging like that! I need details, dammit!"

He flipped her the bird before leaving the mart and heading back toward his house. Damn that woman, always poking her nose in where it didn't belong. He was already struggling enough with this shit without her pushing him even more. He wished the walk was shorter because with all of this free time, his mind was able to wander. What  _did_  he want to happen with Gold? He'd been so concerned with pushing the feelings down (mostly due to his absolute certainty that Gold could  _never_  be interested in him) that he hadn't even thought to ask that question. But, then again, was there really a point to answering it? Nothing was going to happen no matter how much he might want it.

No. This was pointless. There was no reason to dwell on such thoughts. It was not only a waste of time, but the last thing he needed was to start getting his hopes up for something he would never have. He reached his house and went into the kitchen to find Gold, still perfectly shirtless, standing over the stove. Gold heard him approach and turned to look at him.

Their eyes met for only a second, and Gold flashed his doofy grin before he said, "Thanks, just leave them on the counter."

Gold then turned his attention back to the frying pan that was currently melting a bit of butter. Silver did as he was told, but, just like before, his eyes stuck to Gold's exposed skin. And since Gold's back was turned, Silver didn't have to worry about being caught staring. So, as much as he knew he shouldn't, he indulged, and his mind wandered back to that question he'd told himself not to ask.  _What did he want to happen?_  In the future? He wasn't sure. But in that moment he knew he wanted to walk up behind Gold, pull him away from that stove, and... Yeah, there was no denying it anymore. He wanted to shove Gold against the wall next to the stove and kiss him until neither of them could breathe.

The thought set his heart to racing, and he forced himself to look away. He moved over to one of the chairs at the counter and sat down, making absolutely certain his eyes stayed glued to the counter. This was bad. This was unbelievably bad.

Gold didn't seem to notice Silver's attempts to keep his eyes averted and finished the breakfast quickly. Unsurprisingly, Gold's homemade pancakes were just as delicious as everything else he cooked, so Silver wound up eating four of them by himself. After they finished eating, Silver was washing the dishes when Gold asked, "Do you have work today?"

"No," Silver said. "Why?"

Gold shrugged. "I just thought maybe we could move on to the swimming part since I know how to float now."

Silver had to admit he'd never expected Gold to initiate the next step in the learning process. But if he was eager to learn, it meant his fears were no longer controlling him, which was great news.

Even so, Silver had to ask, "You want to swim with a hangover?"

Gold took a drink out of a glass of water he had sitting nearby. "Maybe the water will clear my head."

Silver half-smiled. It wasn't likely, but if he really wanted to go swimming, Silver was more than willing. But they would not be able to do it here. There were too many people and the ocean's tide was not ideal for a beginner. He dried the last dish and put it away before saying, "All right, but we need to go to a lake or a river. I don't want to start you off with the ocean."

Gold thought for a few seconds and said, "The Lake of Rage? They just recently opened it back up to tourists. Apparently they've moved all of the Gyarados elsewhere and it's nothing but Magikarp now."

The Lake of Rage? That wouldn't have been Silver's first idea, but it was a good one. The lake was big enough that they could find a spot where he could teach Gold away from the prying eyes of other tourists, and if the Gyarados were all gone, that would mean the water would be calm.

It was a long way away from both of their homes, though, so he said, "Well if we're gonna go all the way out there we should just make a camping trip out of it."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to suck them back in. Had he just...invited Gold to go with him on a camping trip...alone? Him and Gold, spending the night in a secluded part of the Lake of Rage, with no one else around? He wanted to physically ram his head into the wall. This attraction to Gold was already getting worse with every passing minute. What was he thinking putting himself in a situation where they would be completely isolated from all other people? He immediately started hoping that Gold would say no, that he would say he hated camping, or that he just wanted to stay for a few hours.

Unluckily for Silver, Gold seemed to like the idea as he said, "All right. Let me call Mom and let her know so she doesn't worry."

 _Fuck_. Of course he'd be okay with it. Well, it was too late to take it back now. He'd "made his bed" as the saying goes. So while Gold was talking to Miranda Silver headed downstairs to get the camping gear that his father kept down there. He would just have to keep reminding himself that this trip was about teaching Gold to swim. That's all.

* * *

The two of them arrived at the lake and picked a spot that was out of sight of the rest of the tourists who had flocked there for the day. They let out all twelve of their Pokemon and Gold sent his Shiftry to collect some firewood while he set up the grill. Silver decided he'd go ahead and pitch the tent and unpack the sleeping bags since Gold hadn't really left him anything else to do. When he was finished, he poked his head out of the tent and saw that Shiftry had arranged the firewood for them and Feraligatr had, evidently, collected rocks to place around wood without being told to. Silver glanced around the campground and saw his and Gold's Pokemon playing together without a care in the world. He had to smile at that. It was good to see all of them getting along despite how many times they'd fought each other in the past.

Gold had finished setting up the grill and turned to Silver to ask, "You ready?"

Silver nodded. "Let's go."

To Silver's simultaneous delight and dismay, Gold kicked off his flip flops and stripped out of his shirt. He didn't allow himself to look for too long, though, and took off his own shirt before following Gold to the edge of the water, grabbing a flotation ring that he'd brought with them, just in case. Silver stepped into the water first and when Gold was in up to his chest, Silver said, "Okay, first I want you to watch what I do."

Gold kept his eyes trained on Silver as he allowed himself to float on his back. He then started waving his arms down across the top of the water, pulling himself along and lightly kicking his feet as well to get a little bit more speed. After he swam in a circle, he went back to the shallows and said, "Try that first. Since you already know how to float on your back, that should be easy."

Unlike every other time Silver had asked Gold to try something new, he saw  _very_  little nervousness. Seems he'd been right. Gold had very nearly overcome this fear. Without any hesitation, Gold floated to the top of the water and mimicked, almost perfectly, what Silver had just done. He only stumbled a little when he didn't swim close enough to the shore before trying to touch down. He floundered for a few seconds, but Silver reached for his arm and pulled him back to the shallows.

Apparently, though, he pulled too hard as Gold's body crashed right into his, and the younger man had to steady himself by grabbing Silver's shoulders while Silver's hands instinctively caught Gold's waist. Gold's forearms rested temporarily against Silver's biceps and their chests just barely brushed each other. As if all of that wasn't enough, their eyes met, and Silver chest burned at a deep blush flushing across Gold's cheeks. Too close. This was  _much_  too close.

He backed away from Gold quickly and cleared his throat before saying, "That's what happens when you get ahead of yourself."

He willed his heart to slow and scrambled to say, "Next, you're gonna have to try floating on your stomach."

Finally, a small bit of apprehension flashed over Gold's features, and his eyes started darting back and forth. Silver could see that he was probably going to have to coax Gold into it, so he did what he did last time and showed him. Once he was floating, he turned his head toward Gold and said, "Like that. Try it."

Silver touched back down and stood nearby as Gold raised his feet and allowed his body to bob to the surface of the water. Silver could see Gold's shoulder shaking, probably with tension from having to not only float but hold his head out of the water at the same time. Now Silver had to demonstrate the next part, so he swam out a few feet in front of Gold and performed several forward strokes with his arms while kicking his legs.

Once he'd swam a few circles in front of Gold, he stopped and said, "Move your arms and legs like that, but make sure you stay relaxed. If you stop letting yourself float, you'll sink."

He was shaky at first, but Gold, once again, mimicked Silver's movements. And though he wasn't able to move through the water as quickly as Silver (probably due to lingering discomfort), he kept himself above the water and didn't flounder once before he returned to the shallows.

When he touched his feet back down, Gold released a heavy breath and said, in a surprised tone, "I actually did it."

Silver half-smiled. "Don't sound so shocked. You got past the hardest part a while ago."

Gold grinned back. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Silver motioned his head out toward the water. "You wanna try again?"

Gold looked out across the lake for a few seconds before throwing on his doofy smile and saying, "Hell yeah."

So Silver stood by for the next fifteen minutes, watching Gold closely as he swam back and forth from the deeper parts of the lake and the shallows. Every time Gold pushed his foot off the bottom and headed back out, his confidence seemed to raise as the tension in his body lessened. Eventually, he was smiling from ear-to-ear and swimming back and forth almost as fast as Silver could. Seeing Gold move through the water with such confidence, Silver couldn't help but beam with pride. It was unbelievable that this was the same man who, not so very long ago, was terrified of even stepping into a hot tub.

Lost in his thoughts, Silver noticed too late that Gold had swam out further than he ever had thus far. Mildly concerned, Silver called out, "Hey, numbskull! Don't swim out too far!"

Gold waved him off and shouted back, "Relax! I'm fine!"

Silver rolled his eyes. He guessed it wasn't any big deal if Gold wanted to swim out further. That's why Silver had brought the flotation ring, after all. At least, that's what Silver thought at first. Something in the water caught his eye, and he turned to look. At first, it looked like nothing but a small shadow, possibly a Magikarp or a Goldeen. However, as the shadow moved closer to Gold, it grew, and grew as whatever it was moved closer to the surface. Silver's eyes widened as he finally worked out the shape of the shadow.

Without a moment's hesitation, he shouted, "Feraligatr!" before grabbing the flotation ring, hurling it in Gold's direction, and diving forward into the deep water. He swam harder and faster than he ever had before, determined to reach Gold before the Gyarados he knew was lurking under the water reared its head. He called out Gold's name, and the younger man turned just in time for Silver to shove the flotation ring into his arms. However, before Silver could warn Gold about anything, waves washed over both of them and a roar echoed across the lake as the Gyarados rose out of the water. Silver stared up with wide eyes at its unhinged jaw and sharp fangs.

A bright, yellow ball of light started to form in the back of its throat, and Silver knew what that meant: Hyper Beam. He knew they had only seconds before the beam charged and the vicious Pokemon unleashed it right at Gold and himself. He didn't have time to think. All he could do was react to the only feeling he had at that moment: protect Gold. That was all he could see, and that was all that mattered. So he turned toward the younger man and threw his arms around him, hoping to shield him with as much of his own body as he could.

He felt Gold tense up against him and heard his shaky voice say, "Silver?"

The light grew brighter, and Silver closed his eyes in preparation for the blast, only to be confused when the light suddenly went out. He released Gold, turned around, and grinned at the sight of his Feraligatr latched onto the Gyarados' face by its claws and its powerful jaws. The Gyarados waved its head about, frantically trying to shake Feraligatr off, but Silver knew that once Feraligatr bit down, there was no getting its jaws open again unless the Pokemon itself willed it. Knowing his Pokemon had given them the opening they needed, he grabbed the rope that was attached to the flotation ring and started pulling Gold back to the shore. Silver flinched when he saw a flash of blue and yellow as Gold's Lanturn sped through the water and toward the Gyarados, apparently going to help Feraligatr. That made Silver feel much better. Lanturn could dispatch a water/flying type like Gyarados with absolutely no trouble at all.

He reached the shore with Gold and when the younger man climbed out of the water, Silver took him by his shoulders and asked, "Are you okay?"

Gold nodded, but Silver was not the only one concerned with Gold's safety. His Typhlosion, Jynx, Shiftry, Altaria, and Scizor all gathered around him as well, nuzzling him and releasing concerned cries. He individually patted each of them on the head and assured them he was fine. To Silver's surprise, the same thing happened to him as his Magneton, Alakazam, Gengar, Crobat, and Sneasel suddenly appeared, behaving much the same way. He chuckled and proceeded to comfort his own Pokemon before hearing a loud roar come from the direction of the lake.

The Gyarados had fallen to the combined team of Feraligatr and Lanturn, and as the two Pokemon swam back to shore, Silver figured he should probably get the Gyarados out of the lake, lest it recover and go after someone else. So he chucked an ultra ball in the direction of the Gyarados and watched as the shook three times and fell still. The ball came sailing back in his direction and he pocketed it, deciding he would give it to the lake's staff in the morning and warn them to double-check the lake.

Feraligatr trudged out of the water and Lanturn swam in happy circles near the shore. Silver wrapped his arms around Feraligatr's neck and hugged it tightly as he said, "Thanks, Feraligatr. You did well."

The Pokemon hugged him back and purred happily before joining the rest of Silver's party. Gold was singing similar praises to his Lanturn when Silver approached and said, "Well, so much for all of the Gyarados being gone."

Gold chuckled and sent Lanturn on its way and stood as he said, "Yeah, no kidding."

Silver walked back toward the camp and Gold followed, approaching the cooler with all of the food and asking, "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to eat."

Silver went to one of the fold-out chairs they'd brought and flopped down. "I think we've earned dinner."

The smaller cooler with the drinks was sitting nearby, so Silver reached into it and pulled out two beers. He placed one on top of the cooler after he closed it and tossed the other one to Gold. It didn't take long for the smell of grilled burgers, hot dogs, and asparagus to start wafting through the air, and with every whif of it, Silver's hunger grew. Their Pokemon also smelled the food and returned from their forest adventures to sit and wait for dinner as well. Luckily, the two trainers had come prepared and Gold grilled up several berries for the Pokemon to go with the meat and asparagus.

Once the food was finished and passed out, Gold took a seat in the chair next to Silver and raised his beer in a toast as he said, "Here's to  _not_  getting eaten by a Gyarados."

Silver grinned and raised his beer as well. "Yeah...if we could stay as far from wild Gyarados as possible, that would be great."

Gold smiled back and started digging into his food. Silver picked up his burger and was just about to take a bite when, to his dismay, his Pokegear started ringing. Hoping it wasn't work trying to call him in, he looked at the caller ID and didn't recognize the number. That could mean only one thing.

He hit the answer button and said, "Dad?"

Gold looked up from his food after that, obviously surprised that Giovanni had called.

After clearing his throat, Giovanni said, "Hello, Son."

 _Son_. Even now Silver hated when Giovanni called him that. He knew it was just another one of the ways Giovanni was trying to "make up" for what he'd done, but it always felt like too little, much too late. Still, he didn't want to give Gold any cause for concern, so he kept his voice calm as he said, "What's going on?"

He heard what sounded like genuine concern in Giovanni's voice when he said, "I heard you were attacked by Team Rocket."

Silver rolled his eyes. His dad was a little late to that party. "Which time are you talking about, exactly?"

Giovanni paused in what Silver could only assume was shock before he said, "How many times has this happened?"

Silver was already annoyed with this conversation and said, "Why don't we skip to what you  _really_  want to ask me, Dad? You want to know whether I told them anything about the vault."

Giovanni immediately said. "No, Silver. That isn't why I called."

Silver scoffed. "Oh, so you  _weren't_  gonna ask about that?"

Giovanni didn't answer right away, and that told Silver all he needed to know. The redhead sighed and said, "Don't worry. I didn't tell them anything."

Giovanni paused again and said, "When they came after you...were you hurt?"

Silver's first instinct was to say "Yes" and rub the injury in his father's face, but as soon as the thought entered his mind, he banished it. He couldn't allow himself to fall back on old habits like that, no matter how much he might despise his father. He'd told himself he was going to be better, and he sure as hell wasn't going to act like a colossal prick, especially not with Gold sitting right next to him.

So he said, "No. Nothing happened. I'm fine."

He caught a glimpse of Gold out of the corner of his eye and saw the younger man's eyebrows run together. He was clearly wondering why Silver lied.

Silver averted his eyes as Giovanni answered, "All right, Son. Be careful."

Silver shook his head. "Yeah...sure."

He didn't give Giovanni time to say anything else and hung up the phone, eager for the conversation to be over. He saw Gold sit his plate down, and the younger man's voice was soft when he said, "You were pretty harsh with him."

Silver sat the Pokegear to the side and answered, "Yeah, well, he spent almost my entire childhood off with his precious Rockets, not giving a shit about me, so I don't exactly owe him pleasantries."

Gold's eyes averted after that, and he fell silent. Silver could see the younger man's whole body had tensed up, but there was also a familiar look on his face. He'd seen it many times before from various people he'd met. Gold wanted to say something, but his body language indicated that he was afraid to. No doubt he was worried that what he had to say would piss Silver off. He didn't want that. He didn't want Gold to ever be afraid to say something, no matter how hard it might be to hear.

So he took a swig of his beer and told Gold, "Say what you're thinking."

Gold seemed to hesitate at first, but he eventually leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and said, "You ever consider that maybe he wants to try to make up for what he's done, but he's afraid to try because of how you talk to him?"

Silver felt the kneejerk anger boil in his chest almost instantly and snapped, "So, what? It's  _my_  fault?"

He realized how harsh he'd sounded as soon as the words left his mouth, but when he saw the worried look flash across Gold's face he knew it was too late to take it back. This had not been his plan. The last thing he wanted to do was take his shit out on Gold, of all people. He turned his face away and tried to think of some way to apologize, but Gold's hand coming down on his shoulder grabbed his attention. He turned back and met Gold's eyes, eyes that held the same understanding that they always seemed to have.

Gold squeezed his shoulder tightly and said, "I didn't say that. You've got every right to be angry with your father. But, imagine if I'd treated you the way you just treated him. Would you have even bothered trying to get to know me at all?"

Thinking back, Silver had to conclude that no, he probably wouldn't have. He'd never been under any delusions about what he'd put Gold through. He knew how much Gold probably hated him during those five years they were apart, and he also knew that hatred was justified. Someone hurts you, you don't just forgive them. People like to tell themselves it's that simple, but it never is, especially when the person who hurt you did it on purpose, like he had with Gold. If, after Silver had returned the Pokegear, Gold had told him to get lost and never come back, he knew he would have without hesitation. Then where would he be? He'd be living his old, lonely life without Gold, and that thought was nothing short of terrifying. It was amazing how Gold seemed to always know the exact right thing to say at any given moment.

Silver relented and said, "Probably not."

Though he wasn't looking in Gold's direction, he could see the doofy smile when the younger man said, "Give him a chance. If I'm wrong, you can blame me later."

Silver chuckled lightly and shook his head. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

Gold picked his plate back up to finish his food and said, "Yeah, I know."

The two of them fell silent after that and finished their food. But Silver kept finding his eyes drawn in Gold's direction, and not because he was shirtless this time. No, this time he was marveling at the fact that someone like Gold was even bothering to give a person like him the time of day. That thought had always been in the back of his mind, but the closer they became and the stronger these feelings of Silver's grew, the more unbelievable it seemed that Gold was not only willingly spending time with him but also  _enjoying_  it. He knew he didn't deserve it. He wasn't sure he'd ever deserve it, but, for now, it felt good to simply know Gold was there, that he  _had_  someone, even if it was undeserved.

The two of them finished dinner and sat around the fire drinking beer and roasting marshmallows until almost midnight. It was around that time that Gold insisted that they should probably get to bed. They would have to wake up and leave out early if they were going to both get home in time for work. After returning their Pokemon to their pokeballs, the two of them cleaned up the camp area, put out the fire, and ducked into the tent. Silver had already rolled out the sleeping bags, so the two of them were crawling inside of them when Silver's pokegear started beeping.

Silver knew what the beeping sound was as soon as he heard it and reached out to silence it. It was too late, however, as Gold recognized it too and said, "Silver? Why didn't you tell me your birthday was coming up?"

Silver tried to brush it off and said, "It's no big deal."

However, he knew he'd been unsuccessful as soon as he looked in Gold's direction. The younger man was smirking, and that told Silver one thing, Gold was already plotting something. No doubt he was thinking of a million different ways he could make a big deal out of the birthday, and the idea sent a chill down Silver's spine. He wasn't accustomed to people celebrating him in any capacity. Gold didn't say anything more about it, though, and the two of them were almost settled into their sleeping bags when a roar, far louder than even the roar from the Gyarados, bellowed through the air around them. They both looked at each other before bolting out of the tent to see what was going on.

Silver turned in a circle and stopped when his eyes fell on a sight that made him have to blink to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Brown fur, white paws, red, white and yellow face plates, great white spikes poking out of its back, a flowing, grey mane, and silver anklets around its ankles all told the tale of its identity: Entei. He'd seen the beast only once before, in the Burned Tower. It had taken off with the other two beasts and disappeared into the wind. Now, it appeared, someone else had spotted it because its left hind leg was pierced with what appeared to be a large, metal spear. Poachers, most likely. Hoping to bag a legendary Pokemon and make bank.

The beast was leaping over the top of the trees, but Silver saw it flinch at the pain in its leg before falling straight down into the forest below. Gold was moving before Silver had even registered what happened. He was rummaging through one of the duffle bags they'd brought with them and pulled out a first aid kit along with a hyper potion.

"Come on," Gold said. "We need to help it!"

Silver's eyes went wide and he said, "Are you nuts? It'll roast us as soon as we try to get near it!"

Gold went for his Pokeballs and let out his Typhlosion, who yawned and started looking around, dazed from sleepiness. Gold tucked the first aid kit under his arm and said, "You don't have to come with me, but I'm going. I'm not gonna leave it like that."

 _Fuck_. Of course he was going to go help it no matter what Silver said. This was  _Gold_ he was talking to. Dreading every minute of what was to come, Silver went for his own Pokeballs and brought out his Feraligatr. The blue-skinned Pokemon whined in annoyance, but quieted once it saw Typhlosion, seemingly knowing the presence of the other Pokemon indicated something was amiss.

Silver took a step closer to Gold and said, "I swear to god if your kindness gets us killed..."

Of course, he flashed his doofy grin and said, "Don't worry, Silver. It'll be fine."

Silver rolled his eyes. Gold and his ridiculous confidence.

The two of them took off into the woods with Feraligatr and Typhlosion following close behind. It took several minutes to navigate the thick forest, but when they finally found the Entei, the beast was sprawled out on its side beneath a tree. Its wounded leg was bleeding profusely, and before Silver could stop him, Gold started walking toward the injured Pokemon. Silver stayed on Gold's heels, and when they got too close, Silver flinched as the Entei raised its head and looked like it was about to lunge.

Putting himself between Gold and the Entei, Silver stared the injured Pokemon down as it roared directly in his face. Heat from a weak flame burning in the back of its throat passed over Silver's body, but the beast's sharp fangs stayed right where they were. The Entei's intense gaze faltered a bit, and Silver soon found out why. Feraligatr and Typhlosion had both stepped to either side of their trainers and were both releasing ferocious growls. Typhlosion's flames were spewing from its neck and Feraligatr's claws were poised for attack. The Entei, despite being a legendary, clearly knew that, with its injury, it would be outmatched if Feraligatr and Typhlosion both decided to defend their trainers.

Pushing out from behind Silver, Gold took a step closer to Entei and said, "It's okay, Entei. We aren't gonna hurt you. We just wanna help with your leg."

Gold held up the first aid kit as he spoke and drew the potion out of his pocket, apparently trying to show the Entei there was nothing to fear. Entei released a low growl as Gold moved closer, evidently as a warning. The younger man showed no fear, though, as he walked to Entei's back leg, kneeling down right next to the Pokemon's rear.

As he opened the first aid kit, he said, "Silver, when I say so, I need you to pull the spear out."

Another angry growl came from Entei, and Silver glared at the Pokemon as he said, "Will you shut up? We can't fix your leg if the spear stays in it, can we?"

Entei glared back, but made no further protests as Silver approached the spear and took hold of it. Thankfully, whoever had thrown it didn't have a very good arm because it didn't pass all the way through the leg. That would make treating the wound a lot easier.

Once Gold had everything in order, he said, "All right, Silver. Now."

Without waiting, Silver swiftly yanked the spear out, causing the Entei to, once again, roar at him. He felt the creature's hot breath pass over him again and turned to face it once it stopped. He gave it another stern look and said, "You done?"

Entei, apparently realizing it didn't frighten Silver  _or_  Gold, fell silent and simply kept its eyes trained on what Gold was doing. Gold opened a bottle of disinfectant and poured it into the wound. Entei flinched and a low growl rumbled in its throat, but it did not react violently. After the wound was reasonably clean, Gold brought forward a needle and thread, something Silver hadn't expected to see.

He gave Gold a questioning look, and Gold said, "One of Anthony's favorite weapons was beer bottles. Learning to stitch myself up was easier than making up excuses to tell an ER doctor."

Silver felt the familiar hatred that came with every mention of Anthony's name. Every day he regretted not trying harder to kick that man's ass from one side of New Bark Town to the other. But Gold, it seemed, hadn't been exaggerating. He stitched the wound perfectly, and with very few complaints from the wounded Entei. Next, Gold sprayed the closed wound with the hyper potion he'd brought with him, which seemed to soothe the pain as the Entei's tense muscles relaxed a bit. Finally, Gold brought out some gauze and a bandage, binding the wound tight enough to stop any light bleeding that might occur, but keeping it loose enough so as to avoid causing pain to Entei.

Once he was finished, he plucked two berries out of the first aid kit, gathered up all of his supplies, and brought the berries to Entei. He placed them on the ground in front of it and said, "You can eat these if you want. They'll help you sleep. The hyper potion will help the wound heal pretty quickly, but you'll heal even faster if you sleep. And don't scratch at the stitches, no matter how much it might itch. They'll eventually disintegrate on their own, so just don't mess with them, okay?"

The Entei stared back at Gold as he spoke, and when he was finished, the Entei, to Silver's utter amazement, nodded its head to indicate it understood. Gold smiled at the Pokemon and said, "All right, then. Take care of yourself."

Gold then started heading back to camp. Silver lingered for only a second to take one final look at the Entei. The Pokemon released what sounded like an approving snarl before it nodded its head again. For some reason, Silver felt compelled to nod back before taking off after Gold. When he caught up, however, he found Gold had stopped.

Walking up next to him, Silver asked, "What's wrong?"

Gold's fists clenched when he said, "You have got to  _stop_  doing that."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Doing what?"

Gold's eyes met Silver's and Silver was taken aback by the expression on Gold's face. It almost looked...desperate, pleading even. The younger man's voice trembled a bit when he said, "You've got to  _stop_  standing in front of me whenever it looks like something bad is gonna happen. You did it with the Rockets, you did it with the Gyarados, and you did it with Entei. It's like you don't even care about your own life."

Silver almost had to ask Gold to repeat himself because it sounded like Gold was scolding him for protecting him. It was utterly ridiculous, and Silver rebutted, "So what? You want me to to just stand there and  _let_  you get hurt?"

The look on Gold's face shifted to one that told Silver that he had no answer for that question. Silver scoffed and started walking away, heading back toward the camp. Gold ran after him immediately and said, "Silver, wait! We have to talk about this!"

Silver had heard enough and spun on his heels, causing Gold to have to stop right in his tracks. Silver's eyebrows ran together, "No, we don't! There's nothing to talk about!"

When he tried to leave again, Gold grasped him tightly by his wrist and snapped, "Yes, there is! I don't want you killing yourself trying to protect me!"

That was the last straw. Gold clearly wasn't getting the idea, so Silver shook off his grip, shoved his forearm into the younger man's chest, and pushed him against a nearby tree. He heard Gold expel the breath he'd knocked out of him, but Silver wasn't budging. Not on this issue, not ever. Gold needed to understand that, and if this was the only way, he decided it was worth it.

He placed his other hand against the tree, leaned in, and stared straight into Gold's shocked eyes when he said, "I don't care! I'm  _going_  to protect you, and you  _can't_  stop me!"

The mild anger that had welled up in Silver's chest died instantly when Gold's expression softened. His eyes held the same look Silver had seen in them before he cried, but there were no tears in his eyes. He could feel both Gold's heart racing and the heavy breaths that were pouring out of the younger man's nose. Gold's cheeks darkened to a deep red right before his lips parted slightly and he said in a perfectly sultry voice, "Silver..."

That tone in Gold's voice, it was a spark, one that started a fire in Silver's stomach that drove him toward something that he knew he shouldn't do. Gold's lips were closer than they'd ever been, so close that Silver could feel breaths crashing against his neck. It would be so easy to close that gap, to finally kiss Gold like he'd been dying to do that morning. His body reacted to that feeling, and he found himself leaning in closer. And Gold...he didn't object, which only encouraged Silver further. Their breaths mixed in the air between them, and Gold's eyes fell closed.

 _No!_  Silver's mind finally shouted. He couldn't do this. He'd shouted Gold down, he had him pinned to a tree, and now he was trying to kiss him without his permission. This wasn't right, not in the slightest. So, as painful as it was, he stepped back and released his hold on Gold. The younger man's eyes opened and he stared at Silver, apparently speechless.

Silver turned his head and said, "Like I said. There's nothing to talk about."

He didn't wait for a response, afraid of Gold's voice stirring him up again, and started walking, full stride, back to the camp.

* * *

As soon as Silver was out of sight, Gold fell back against the tree, needing it to brace himself. His hand flew up to his mouth, heavy breaths passed out of his nose, and his heart pounded so hard he could feel it in his ears.

There was no mistaking it, Silver had almost kissed him. He'd gotten so close, in fact, that Gold had been able to feel the heat from his face. Butterflies in the stomach? That was how people had always described the feeling, but Gold could see now just how inadequate that description was. When he'd thought Silver was going to kiss him, his whole body fell limp, like he'd suddenly forgotten how to use his muscles. But then he stopped. Why had he stopped? It was as if Silver had dangled a cheeseburger in front of him while he was starving, and then yanked it away after only letting him smell it.

He had no idea why he'd stopped, but it didn't really matter all that much in the end. Gold had the answer to the questions he'd been asking since the beginning. Silver  _was_  interested, even if he refused to admit it, just like Miranda had said. Now Gold only had to coax Silver  _into_  admitting it, which would be no easy task, he knew. However, now that he'd been given a small taste of what he could expect if he succeeded, he wasn't about to let anything stop him.

He peeled his back away from the tree and headed back to camp, with a happier skip in his step than he'd had in a long while.


	11. The Second Barbecue

Silver couldn't stop thinking about it. It had been a full week since their trip to the Lake of Rage, but, every time Silver thought about Gold, he couldn't stop his brain from replaying the "almost" kiss. His cheeks would burn every time he pictured it and his chest would tighten with embarrassment. He couldn't believe he'd almost done that. But...it had felt so damn good to throw caution to the wayside and lose himself in his feelings for those few seconds. Maybe that was why he couldn't stop thinking about it. Because, no matter how much he held back, no matter how much he told himself not to get his hopes up, he  _wanted_  to lose himself like that again.

"Silver? Earth to Silver. Are you in there?"

Silver blinked and snapped out of his trance only to see Vanessa standing across the counter from him. He'd been so bored standing at the counter that he'd gotten lost in thought and didn't realize what time it was. He glanced up at the clock and saw that his shift was already over and Vanessa had shown up to relieve him.

He punched a few numbers into the computer next to him and said, "Sorry, Vanessa."

She smiled and strutted around the counter. "Daydreaming about that dream boat of yours?"

He groaned quietly. It was as if the woman could read minds. Every time he was thinking about something, she always seemed to be able to tell exactly what it was. He tried to ignore her and walked toward the front door. She was having none of that, though, and called after him, "Did you make a move yet?"

Her words sent a chill down his spine and he clenched his fists tightly to keep from snapping at her. He turned back to her and said, "Give it a rest, Vanessa. Nothing happened, and even if something  _did_  happen, do you really think I'd tell you?"

She smirked and leaned over the counter. "You'd better. If you don't, I'll just bug you until you do."

He sighed in annoyance, knowing that she was telling the truth. She was nothing if not persistent. But he could easily avoid her on the days they didn't work at the same time, so he said nothing more and left the shop, ignoring her calls to "Keep her posted." This was not the day for her to start in on him. Not now. Not after what happened.

He made it back to his house and was just about to change out of his work clothes when his pokegear started ringing. He checked the caller ID and saw "Gold." His chest tightened again, and he hesitated to hit the answer button. He wasn't sure if he was ready to see him yet, not while he still became flustered just  _thinking_  about him.

 _No_  he told himself.  _You avoided him once and you swore you wouldn't do it again_. No matter how nervous he was, no matter how his heart might race at the sight of Gold, he knew he couldn't avoid him. He'd given up that luxury a while ago. So, taking a deep breath, he answered the phone and said, "Hey, Gold."

"Hey, Silver," Gold responded. "You busy?"

Silver chuckled lightly at Gold's timing and said, "I  _just_  got home from work, actually."

"Well, good," Gold said. "Mom's having another barbecue today and she wanted to know if you were coming."

Silver rolled his eyes in amusement. Miranda and her barbecues. Well, he certainly wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to have some of that amazing potato salad the woman liked to make, so he answered, "Yeah. Let me take a shower and I'll head over there."

"Awesome," Gold said cheerfully. "See you in a bit."

They hung up, and Silver headed off to the bathroom to take his shower, hoping that he could get through this day without embarrassing himself like last time.

* * *

Crobat landed outside of Gold's house, and Silver found that the tables, chairs, and grill were already set up, so the barbecue was just about to start. Good thing, too. He'd had an early lunch that day, so his stomach was pretty much empty. He knocked on the door, and heard footsteps approaching right before the door opened and he was taken aback by the sight of six people shouting, "Surprise!"

A banner hung from the dining room ceiling that read "Happy Belated Birthday," there was a two-layered cake on the table, and five of the six people stood around the table while Gold stood at the door. Miranda, Professor Elm, his wife, the Sheriff, and...Annie. Of all of the people he'd expected to see today, Annie was the last one.

He felt a hand come down on his shoulder and turned to see Gold flash his doofy grin before saying, "Sorry, Silver. When I heard about your birthday, I couldn't resist."

He had to admit, he'd completely forgotten that Gold knew about his birthday. There was another more touchy subject that had been keeping his attention for the past week. Still, he wasn't exactly  _upset_  by Gold and Miranda deciding to throw him a party. It was just...strange. His birthday had never really been celebrated, even when he was a kid. His dad would give him presents and sometimes a cake, but there was never a big to-do about it.

He could feel the slight tickle of red in his cheeks when he said, "It's fine. Thanks, Gold."

Gold smiled again. "To be honest, it was Mom's idea."

Silver had to laugh a little at that. Of course it was Miranda's idea. The woman would probably take any excuse in the world to throw a barbecue. But as Silver scanned the room again, his eyes fell on Annie, and he had to ask, "You invited Annie? How did you even get in touch with her?"

Gold scratched the back of his head nervously and said, "I kinda took the number out of your pokegear when you weren't looking. I wasn't sure what to get you for a present, so I called her to ask if she had any ideas. When she found out we were having a party, she wanted to come, and I couldn't exactly tell her no."

Of course not. Gold was the single kindest person Silver had ever met in his life, so he wasn't one to deny people the things they wanted. Still, Silver felt compelled to say, "You didn't have to do all this, Gold."

Gold looked at the floor when he answered, "I know, but I didn't want your birthday to be an afterthought again."

Silver's chest burned at Gold's words. Damn him. He couldn't go more than five minutes without saying something or doing something to make it ifinitely harder for Silver to fight these growing feelings for him. Gold just... _cared_  so much, and that was something Silver just wasn't accustomed to.

Gold motioned for him to follow and Silver approached the table with the birthday cake sitting on it. There were only six candles on it, but it wasn't as if he was expecting 23 of them. To Silver's utter embarrassment, Miranda said, "One, two, three" and every person in the room proceeded to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. His cheeks flushed and when the song ended, he blew out the six candles, hoping that would be the end of him being made the center of attention. Thankfully, after that, everyone seemed to disperse and Gold went with Miranda to the kitchen. The two of them emerged with food in their hands, so Silver knew it was time for the barbecue to start.

He followed everyone else outside, and, while everything was being set up, Annie approached him. She smiled and pulled him down into a hug as she said, "Never thought I'd be coming to one of your birthdays."

"No kidding," he responded. "Honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd ever want to see me again. I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, well, I've been thinking a lot since I last saw you. And I figured you had to have been going through some serious crap to be as cruel as you were. I don't know what it was, but with the way you are now, I know that "cruel" isn't your default setting."

She was right, of course, but he'd never been one to use his crappy childhood as an excuse for what he'd done. He shook his head and said, "That's no excuse."

"No," she said. "But I'm trying to tell you that I've forgiven you, so you should forgive yourself, too."

Forgive himself? Much easier said than done, especially when he could close his eyes and still see the faces of all of the  _other_  women he had harmed in the exact same way. Still, he appreciated Annie's forgiveness. It lessened his burden, even if only by a small margin. He was about to thank her when she looked past him and her eyebrows raised slightly.

"Who's that?" she asked.

Silver turned to see who she was talking about and felt his teeth start to grind at the person approaching the barbecue. His blonde hair was unkempt, his white wife beater stained with what looked like alcohol, and he walked with a slight wobble, which told Silver he was drunk. The last thing Gold needed was for a trashed Anthony to be appearing and disrupting things.

From behind him, he heard Miranda call out Gold's name, but his focus was entirely on Anthony, and kicking his ass out of the barbecue. He started taking heavy steps in Anthony's direction, confident that he wasn't going to let the brute beat him this time. He didn't make it far, though, as Gold sprinted in front of him and placed his hand firmly in the center of Silver's chest.

"Wait," he said sternly. "Let me deal with this, Silver."

Silver flashed Gold an annoyed glare and said, "You have got to be kidding! I'm not letting him anywhere near you!"

He tried to push past Gold's hand, but Gold was having none of that and pushed back against Silver's chest just as hard. Silver looked at Gold again and this time, the younger man's eyes were burning with resolve when he said, "And I'm not letting  _you_  do something stupid. There's a Sheriff standing  _right_ over there."

He knew Gold was right, but he didn't care. He didn't have the presence of mind to care. All he could see or focus on was the fact that the man who had hurt Gold and nearly killed him was quickly approaching in a drunken stupor. His chest wrenched against the boiling anger and he was about to try pushing past Gold again when the younger man moved his face closer to Silver's and whispered, "Silver, please. Just trust me."

Their eyes met again, and Silver answered, "It's not  _you_  I don't trust."

Gold's hand moved from Silver's chest to his shoulder when he said, "I know, but I can handle this. So stay here."

It seemed Gold wasn't going to let this go, no matter what Silver said. The redhead sighed heavily and the tightness in his muscles lessened when he said, "Fine, but if he tries anything-"

"He won't," Gold said matter of factly. And with the confident look on his face, Silver almost believed him.

Silver heard Annie approach as Gold walked away, but Silver's attention was aimed solely at Anthony. He scanned the brute intently, looking for any signs that he was going to make a move as Gold reached him. At first, Anthony was motionless, and though Gold's back was turned, Silver could tell by his body language that he was speaking. He couldn't hear what was being said, but whatever it was clearly didn't sit well with Anthony. A pitiful look appeared on the large man's face and Silver could swear he saw his eyes misting over with tears. Had this been anyone else, Silver might have felt sorry for him, but this was not someone else, so the tears looked like he stole them off of a crocodile.

Finally, Anthony moved, and Silver's fists clenched when both of Anthony's giant hands grasped Gold's shoulders. He didn't appear to be squeezing, but the fact that he was touching Gold at all was  _really_  testing Silver's ability to stay out of it. Seeing the contact made more of those images flash in Silver's mind; images of that brute's hands being used to snap Gold's arm or leave bruises on his ribs. It was unbearable, and it only became worse with Anthony's next action. The blonde cocked his head to the side, one of his hands went to the back of Gold's neck, and he and moved in, like he was going to try to kiss Gold. A snarl rumbled in Silver's throat and he instinctively took a step forward, about to do what he'd planned to do earlier.

Annie's hand on his chest stopped him, however, and she said, "Hang on."

He did as he was told, but the anger did not lessen. Even as Gold pushed Anthony away and seemed to scold him, the fire raging in Silver's chest didn't die down. But this anger, there was something else with it, a feeling that was both familiar and new at the same time. He'd experienced jealousy before. Hell, the entire year he'd spent battling Gold he'd felt pretty much nothing  _but_  that. This new feeling, though, it wasn't only jealousy. No, when Anthony had tried to kiss Gold, something far stronger than jealousy had come to the surface: possessiveness. It seemed, in the time he'd spent with Gold, Silver's own instincts had shifted to such a degree that his mind and body now reacted as if Gold was  _his_.

It didn't take much longer for Gold to seemingly convince Anthony to leave, and after the lummox started stumbling away, Gold turned back. He flashed that doofy smile and it sent a weakness through Silver, something it had never done before. Gold glanced in Silver's direction as he walked past him and winked before returning to his place in front of the grill. Silver watched him the whole time, not even realizing that he was doing it. Even as Gold went back to flipping burgers and chatting with Miranda, Silver's eyes stayed firmly locked on him.

"Damn. You've got it  _bad_  for him, don't you?" came Annie's voice.

Annie's voice broke him out of it and he said, "What?"

She crossed her arms and motioned her head toward Gold. "You're not exactly being subtle, Silver. It's probably obvious to everyone here how you feel about Gold."

His cheeks flushed, and he turned away. He'd been forced to admit to himself what was going on inside of his head, but admitting it to himself and saying it out loud were two very different things.

So, even though he knew denying it was pointless, he automatically said, "It's...not like that.

She laughed sarcastically. "Come on. You know that's bullshit. I saw how you reacted when that guy tried to kiss him."

She was right. He already knew she was right before she even said it, but it was still a touchy subject, one he wasn't sure he was ready to discuss. Annie's hand rested gently on his left bicep when she said, "Why not go for it?"

An easy question, and one he already had an answer for. He crossed his arms and responded, "Because there's no way he's interested in someone like me."

She laughed at that, and he gave her a quizzical look. What was she laughing about? She shook her head and sighed before saying, "You really believe that, don't you?"

Still confused, he continued to stare at her blankly. Of course he believed that. Gold was about as far out of his league as a person could get. Gold had always been good, kind, and loyal. He was skilled enough to have beaten all eight Johto gyms while Silver had simply stolen the badges. Gold didn't grow up in a criminal organization surrounded by thugs and killers, with a father who was a damn mob boss. Gold was, quite literally, everything Silver wasn't. To think that a person like Gold would ever stoop to the level of a person like him... There was just no way.

"Silver, Annie!" Miranda called out. "Food is ready!"

Grateful for the distraction, Silver headed toward the food table to get in line. Miranda was in front of him, and when they were both out of the line, the older woman turned to him and said, "Can we talk?"

He wasn't sure what she wanted to talk about, but he, of course, nodded and followed her over to a couple of fold-out chairs nearby. They both sat down, and for a few seconds, she looked over toward Gold. Silver followed her eyes and saw that Gold was chatting with the Sheriff and Professor Elm. The ache in his chest when he looked upon Gold had become normal, so it no longer bothered him, but was still strange to think of himself feeling this way about Gold, of all people.

"I saw you," Miranda said.

Silver turned to her, a questioning look in his eyes. She did what she always did when she was speaking to someone over a meal and pushed her food around with a fork. Her eyes were grave when she said, "I saw how you immediately tried to protect Gold as soon as Anthony showed up. There's a lot of things I need to thank you for, but that... You have no idea how grateful that made me."

He wasn't sure what she meant by "a lot of things she needed to thank him for," but there was something to her tone that was bothering him. As long as he'd known the woman, he'd never seen her truly angry, but as she spoke about Anthony, he was certain it was anger he was hearing in her voice.

Determined to learn the truth, he asked, "What's going on, Miranda?"

She exhaled heavily and placed her plate on the ground next to her. Her pale face held a pained expression that made Silver want to comfort her. He could sense she probably didn't want that, though, so he held back.

After taking another deep breath, Miranda said, "Gold thinks I don't know, but I do. I know what Anthony really is. I know what he did to my son, every disgusting detail."

Silver's eyes grew wide and he mimicked Miranda's action by putting his plate on the ground. She knew? He remembered Gold telling him that he'd kept the whole truth hidden from Miranda to keep her from worrying. How had she found out?

Seemingly knowing what he wanted to ask, Miranda went on, "Crystal told me the whole thing. Gold asked her not to, but she said she couldn't keep such a secret from me. It's been hard, knowing what Anthony did and knowing he's walking free in the same small town as Gold. It's always terrified me to think that Anthony might decide to take things too far and..."

She shook her head and covered her eyes with one of her hands. Her shoulders tensed and her other hand clenched into a fist when she said, "I haven't been as stern with Gold as I should have been, not since his father. As his mother, there's a lot of things I should have done, but I didn't because I was too soft. I should have put him in the water myself and helped him get over that fear, but I didn't. And when I found out what Anthony had put Gold through, I should have dragged him to the police station and  _made_  him press charges... but I didn't."

The more she spoke, the more clear it became that Gold took after her. Gold blamed himself for Anthony, and so did Miranda. It seemed he had inherited her flaw of blaming herself for things that were out of her control. At the same time, though, he could also see strength in her, a strength that mirrored the strength he'd always seen in Gold. He truly was his mother's son.

She reached her hand up and rested her palm on the side of Silver's neck, a gesture that made Silver blush. He wasn't accustomed to such tenderness from anyone. She smiled at him, and he saw mist in her eyes when she said, "But you tried to protect him without hesitation, just like you did when he fell in the water. That makes Anthony the  _second_  of my mistakes that has fallen onto you to fix."

With every word, her voice became more pained until he was certain she would burst into tears at any second. He hated seeing her like this, feeling guilty and berating herself for perceived failings. Since he'd met this woman, she'd been nothing less than one of the most caring and generous people he'd ever met. She didn't deserve to feel this way, and he wasn't going to let it carry on if he could help it.

"Miranda," he started to say.

"After Anthony," she interrupted, "I was afraid that I'd  _never_  be able to trust another man with my son. But I want you to hear me when I say that I trust  _you_ , Silver,  _completely_."

He knew what she was implying. Without saying it, she was giving Silver her blessing to start an actual relationship with Gold. But he couldn't focus on that because something else she'd said was making his eyes sting with mist. She just told him that she trusted him, completely. And not only that, she trusted him with her son, her  _only_  son, and the only person she had left in the world. He had no doubt in his mind that she knew what he used to be. Gold had to have told her at some point. But despite that, despite knowing the kind of person he was five years ago, she wasn't holding it over his head. She was giving him her trust, and there was nothing in the world she could have given him that would have meant more to him than that.

Without even thinking, he pulled her tiny, frail frame against him, hugging her tight enough that he hoped it would convey how grateful he was for what she said, but gently enough to avoid hurting her. She ran one of her hands through the back of his hair and kissed him on the his left temple before whispering, "Thank you."

He shook his head and responded, "That's my line."

As she pulled away, he returned her gesture and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He felt the a dampness on her face when he did so, indicating that a few tears had escaped her eyes. She smiled as she raised her hands to her face to wipe the tears away and said, "Look at me, crying like a baby in the middle of your birthday party. I'm a damn mess."

A mess? That was the last thing he would have called her in that moment. At the same time, though, the scarf on her head, the frailty of her body, and the paleness of her skin were all sharp, unwelcome reminders of something that he'd somehow let slip to the back burner. She was dying. This steadfastly kind, considerate, loving woman, the woman who had just made him feel more accepted than anyone ever had, would be dead within the year. It wasn't as if he'd been unaware of this fact, but, like Gold, he hadn't dwelled on it. This had, perhaps, left him unprepared to deal with what he was feeling right now. He didn't want her to die. For the first time since meeting the woman, her illness was bothering him for an entirely selfish reason as opposed to it only bothering him by virtue of it hurting Gold.

Something grabbed Miranda's attention and she turned to pick up her plate before standing. She smiled brightly and said, "I was wondering how much longer you were gonna let Jim talk your ear off."

Silver turned to see Gold approaching with his own plate and a cup of water. He smiled back and answered, "Well, he wants to talk to  _you_  now, so have fun with that."

At first, Silver had no idea who they were talking about, but then he remembered that Gold had been talking to the Sheriff. It hadn't even occurred to Silver until this moment that he'd never known the man's real name.

Miranda chuckled and briefly turned to Silver to say, "You'd better eat your food before it gets cold, young man."

He grinned back as she walked away and picked up his plate right as Gold approached. He took a seat in the chair Miranda had been sitting in and asked, "Well,  _that_  looked serious."

Silver knew Gold was probably referring to the conversation he and Miranda were just having, and he knew he couldn't tell Gold anything for fear of revealing Miranda's secret. So he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Not really. She was just thanking me for teaching you how to swim."

It wasn't the whole truth, but Gold didn't seem too worried about it, so Silver was happy to leave it at that. After taking a bite of his hotdog, Gold asked, "So despite everything, was this at least a good day?"

Silver chased a bite of his own food with some water and answered, "It's still kinda weird having a party thrown for me, but yeah. This was good."

Gold went quiet for a few seconds, and in those seconds, Silver saw his body tense, like he was about to say something that made him nervous. After swallowing another bite of his food, Gold said, "I looked for Giovanni's number in your Pokegear too. I was gonna invite him, but I didn't see a number for him."

While Silver didn't really like the idea of Gold inviting Giovanni without telling him, he also understood why Gold would do that. After their talk at the Lake of Rage, it was obvious that Gold wanted Silver to at least  _attempt_  some kind of friendly relationship with his father. Silver didn't necessarily think that such a relationship could happen, but he couldn't exactly be angry at Gold for wanting that for him.

So rather than confronting Gold about it, Silver simply said, "He doesn't call me very often. Phone calls are too easy to track and he's still on the run from both the law and Team Rocket, so..."

Gold laughed and slapped himself lightly on the forehead. "I didn't even think about that. He probably wouldn't have risked coming even if I  _had_  called."

Silver chuckled back. "Yeah...probably not."

Silver turned his attention to the potato salad on his plate and thought the serious part of the conversation was over. That was, until Gold's gaze hit the ground and he stopped eating. Curious as to what was bothering him now, Silver asked, "What's up?"

Gold shrugged and shook his head. "Nothing, really. It's just...sad that you don't have a good relationship with your dad."

It hadn't even occurred to Silver until that moment. Of course Gold would be bothered by the fact that Silver didn't get along with Giovanni. Gold had made it pretty clear that his dad was his greatest inspiration, even going so far as to let his dad influence which Pokemon he chose as his first. Compared to that, Silver's relationship with his father had to have seemed absolutely pitiful.

Reaching a hand out, Silver placed it on Gold's shoulder and said, "Hey, don't worry about it. I can't exactly miss what I never had."

Gold sighed. "I know. That's why I didn't want you to be alone on your birthday again. Well...so to speak."

More kindness and consideration. It seemed Gold couldn't go ten minutes without shelling out more of that. Silver grinned again and said, "Thanks."

He was about to pull his hand away from Gold's shoulder when he suddenly felt a warm palm over top of it. His cheeks burned when he felt Gold's fingers gently slip around and grasp his hand. Silver's breathing intensified and his heartbeat quickened as Gold asked, "Is it okay if I come over tonight?"

Utterly shocked by being touched by Gold in such a tender way, Silver was only able to stutter out, "Y-Yeah. Sure."

Gold released his hand at that point, but as Silver withdrew it, the heat from Gold's palm lingered. He wasn't sure why Gold had felt the need to touch his hand like that, but he promptly shoved his hand into the pocket of his jeans, hoping to erase the feeling.

It didn't work.

* * *

 

The party ended after the cake was cut and pieces were passed out to everyone there. Much like everything else Gold and Miranda cooked, the entirely homemade cake was absolutely scrumptious. After saying farewell to all of the guests and helping Miranda clean up the mess from the party, Silver and Gold took off for Silver's house. After they arrived, Silver followed Gold inside, who promptly went to the kitchen and opened the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of scotch, two glasses, and something Silver hadn't expected to see: a rectangular object wrapped in simple blue wrapping paper.

How Gold had managed to hide that present without him noticing, Silver wasn't sure, but then it occurred to him: he hadn't actually received any presents at the party. He'd been so distracted by what happened with Anthony and Miranda that he hadn't even thought about that. Gold led Silver to the couch and poured each of them a glass of scotch before handing Silver the gift.

Gold picked up his glass and said, "Mom and Annie will be sending their presents in the mail since I kinda dropped the party thing on them last minute. I managed to find that at the store, though."

Gold took a drink of his scotch as Silver started to unwrap the gift. Peeling away the blue paper, Silver found a hardback book with a picture of a white fist and a the black outline of a soldier standing inside of it. The title of the book was  _Johnny Got His Gun_. He'd heard the title before, but he couldn't say he'd ever read it before. He didn't even know what it was about.

Gold sat his glass back down and said, "I saw that bookshelf you keep in the corner of the room, so I figured you liked to read."

Gold was right about that. Silver  _did_  like to read, probably more than most people. If he had his way, he'd have an entire room of his house dedicated to nothing but books. Flipping the book over, he looked for something that might tell him the premise, but there was nothing.

He was about to open it to check inside when Gold said, "My dad bought me a copy of that book when I was a kid. He said, "Gold, if you ever get it in your head that you wanna join the military too, you have to promise me that you'll read that book first." I didn't understand why he said that...until I actually read the book."

Military? Well, it was obvious by the cover that the book had something to do with war. He was about to ask Gold the premise when Gold stopped him and said, "Don't ask what it's about. Just read it. Trust me. It's one of those stories that's better if you know nothing going in."

Well, after Gold's story about his dad, Silver was certainly intrigued by the book, but he wasn't going to start reading it right then. He went over to the bookshelf and found a spot to slide the book into, determined that he would take it with him the next time he went to work and read it on his breaks. On his way back to the couch, he reached into the end table and pulled out the Wii remotes again, tossing one to Gold. This seemed to have become their routine, and Silver wasn't complaining in the slightest.

Smirking, Gold said, "Wanna see how quickly I can kick your ass at Rainbow Road?"

Silver smirked right back and answered, "I'd rather see how quickly I can make you eat those words."

Gold laughed as Silver started up the system. As the course started, Silver was reminded why he'd always considered this course absolute hell. Falling off was easy, and when you have a second player actively  _trying_  to make you fall off, that only made the course more difficult. And that's exactly what Gold was doing. As frustrating as it was, catching glimpses of the smile that would flash across Gold's features every time he would successfully knock him off the edge made it worth it in Silver's mind.

Still, Silver was not one to back down, and he still managed to keep up with Gold throughout most of the race until they reached the final lap. During that lap, the two of them were neck and neck, and the tension mounted as they both rounded corner after corner. The finish line was in sight, and Silver smashed the buttons down as hard as he could, trying to gain the few inches he needed to clinch the victory. At the last second, however, Gold received the dreaded banana peel and tossed one directly under Silver's car, causing him to spin out. Gold flew through the finish line, and launched to his feet upon his victory, letting out a loud cheer.

However, he'd evidently stood up too fast because he immediately lost his footing and tumbled right back onto the couch. He landed far closer to Silver than he had been before, so close that their thighs were touching and Gold's shoulder bumped against Silver's. Both of them burst out laughing at Gold's clumsiness, and Silver took advantage of their closeness by wrapping his arm around Gold's neck and pulling him into a headlock.

"Don't get cocky," Silver said. "That was just one round."

Gold laughed, pushed against Silver's chest, and broke out of the hold, only to stop moving entirely when his eyes met Silver's. And he stayed that way, not breaking the gaze, and not saying anything. Silver stared back and a very familiar feeling started to linger in the air between them, the same feeling that had been present that night in the woods. Despite putting Gold in that headlock, it hadn't really occurred to Silver just how close they were. But now that Gold's cheeks were flushing and his gaze was growing more intense, their proximity was the  _only_  thing on his mind.

It was happening again. That fire burning in his stomach that pushed him forward. Only this time, he wasn't the only one moving. Gold was inching closer as well, with a look in his eyes Silver could only compare to hunger, a look he hadn't seen the first time this happened. That told Silver one thing: Gold wanted this, probably just as much as he did. This fact should have made Silver jump for joy. It should have made him all the more eager to finally close that short gap and kiss Gold like he'd been dying to do all this time. But all it did was frighten him, far more than it should have. So when Gold's lips drew close enough that Silver could feel warm breaths on his face, he turned his head. There were several seconds of silence, followed by Gold cracking a joke in an attempt to cover up what had just happened. Silver laughed and played along, but his mind was more heavily focused on the implications of what had just occurred.

He'd been sure,  _absolutely_  sure that Gold couldn't possibly be interested in him. In fact, the very idea had been nothing short of laughable. But now, after seeing Gold try to initiate a kiss himself, Silver couldn't deny it any longer. He was now faced with the possibility of a relationship with Gold  _actually_  happening.


	12. The Surrender

Needless to say, Silver's night had been less than restful. On top of the image of Gold leaning in to kiss him that would appear every time he closed his eyes, he had to deal with the absolute nerve-wracking possibility of Gold trying something similar again. And him trying something again was all but guaranteed considering that Silver now knew he was interested. Gold was nothing if not persistent. As long as Silver had known him, he'd never seen Gold give up on getting something he really wanted. He hadn't even truly given up on becoming Champion. He'd simply put it on hold because of Miranda. And with Silver simultaneously wanting Gold just as much, the redhead was in a precarious situation.

This wouldn't be so damned terrifying if he'd ever been with a man before, but the thought had never even crossed his mind before Gold. Was he really ready to commit to a full blown relationship, with a  _man_  no less? He wasn't sure, and that was what was killing him. There was no doubt in his mind that touching Gold felt better than anything ever had, but having an entirely physical relationship with him was out of the question. He would sooner cut off his arm than use Gold the way he'd used all of those women in his past. But he couldn't commit to a relationship just for the sake of the physical intimacy. That would be no better. So he was stuck between an  _extremely_  attractive rock and a hard place.

He sat up in his bed an hour before his alarm was set and switched it off. He wouldn't be going back to sleep. He trudged into the living room and found Gold still asleep, lying on his back with the blanket only covering him from the waist down. Averting his eyes, Silver was about to head off to the kitchen to start some coffee when he was startled by Gold's pokegear suddenly ringing. Gold's eyes opened, and he rolled over to reach for the phone, momentarily making eye contact with Silver as he did so. Gold's discheveled hair, red-patched cheeks, and sleep-filled eyes were nothing short of charming, and Silver couldn't stop his lips from curling into a small grin.

Gold answered the phone with, "Hey, Mom."

Figuring now would be a good time to start the coffee, Silver headed into the kitchen. However, no sooner had he poured the water into the coffee maker did he hear Gold exclaim, "Are you serious!?"

Silver smiled at the excited tone in Gold's voice as he finished preparing the coffee maker. After he pushed the power button, he heard Gold, in an equally thrilled voice, "Yeah! I'll be there soon! Love you, Mom!"

Silver was reaching up into the cabinet to pull out a coffee mug when he heard Gold's quick, heavy footsteps heading in his direction. He turned in time to have the air knocked out of his lungs by Gold crashing into him in a sort of tackle-hug, his arms wrapping around Silver's neck. Silver immediately regretted not putting on a shirt before leaving the room because now Gold's warm chest was pressing up against his and he could feel Gold's quickened heartbeat.

Silver's cheeks were an inferno when he said, "Umm... Good morning?"

Gold backed away after that, and the smile on his face was far brighter than any Silver had seen thus far. In fact, he hadn't seen a smile  _that_  carefree since before they'd gone their separate ways five years ago.

"Sorry," Gold said. "I just...can't believe it."

"What happened?" Silver asked.

A light chuckle escaped from Gold's lips before he said, "The doctor just called Mom. He said he's found a new treatment she qualifies for. It...it just might save her."

A new treatment that might save Miranda? Those words sent a wave of elation through Silver that made it impossible to stop a smile from forming on his lips. He'd been hit with the burden of remembering that she was dying almost immediately after she'd pretty much won his heart. So this news...it was beyond incredible.

Reaching a hand out, he placed it on Gold's shoulder and said, "That's fantastic."

Gold smiled a little bit brighter and leaned against the counter as he said, "It's more than fantastic. It's... the first bit of actual hope we've had."

The strained tone in Gold's voice and the further reddening of his cheeks told Silver that Gold was happy, but he was also fighting back tears, probably tears of relief. And Silver couldn't blame him. It was obvious from the get-go how much Gold loved his mother, and Silver had an idea of how deeply losing her would destroy him. To know that this conclusion did not necessarily have to be was a huge weight off of Silver, so he couldn't imagine how light Gold was feeling.

Gold exhaled heavily and pushed away from the counter, "Anyway, mom said she's about to head over to the hospital. I'm gonna meet her there. Do you want to come?"

Silver glanced over at the clock and cursed his work schedule as he said, "I'd like to, but I have to be to work in a few hours."

He saw the disappointment flash over Gold's features, and Silver was equally dismayed. But he wasn't going to let it dampen their spirits and said, "Just call me when you're finished. I'll let my boss know I might have an important call coming in, and he won't care if I answer even if I'm not on break."

That seemed to make Gold feel better, as his doofy grin returned and he said, "All right. I'll see you later, Silver."

"Bye, Gold."

With that, Gold turned and left the kitchen. Silver could hear him walking around the living room for a few moments, presumably gathering his things, before the front door opened and closed. With the coffee finally finished, Silver poured himself a cup and found himself smiling yet again. It was surreal in a way. All this time it had been a certainty that Miranda was going to die within a year. Now it wasn't, and Silver couldn't stop the childish giddiness he was feeling because of that. Maybe, just maybe, he and Gold could both avoid another tragedy.

A knock on his front door dragged him out of his thoughts and his immediate assumption was that Gold had forgotten something. So he approached the door and opened it, only to almost drop his coffee cup at the sight of his father standing at the door. His hair was longer than Silver had ever seen it and he'd dyed it black. He wore sunglasses, a black hat, and a long, brown trench coat.

Backing away from the door quickly, Silver said quietly, "What the hell, Dad? Get inside before someone recognizes you."

Giovanni did as he was told and Silver closed the door behind them. Giovanni then removed the hat, sunglasses, and trench coat before setting them both to the side. Silver stood in front of his father with his arms crossed as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Giovanni didn't give a verbal answer right away, and instead his eyes fell to Silver's still bare chest. That was when Silver rembered... the burn. It had left one eye sore of a scar. Before Silver could even think of rushing to his room to put on a shirt, Giovanni said, "I knew you were lying to me. I just wasn't sure  _what_  exactly Team Rocket had done. From the looks of it...blowtorch."

Silver crossed his arms over his chest and said, "It was no big deal."

Giovanni's left eye twitched with what Silver recognized as mild annoyance. He didn't like the fact that Silver was making light of what happened, but Silver wasn't about to waste his time whining about it. Giovanni walked over to the couch and sat down. Silver figured he may as well follow and sat on the opposite side from his father, becoming more and more discomforted with every passing second. He wasn't accustomed to his father just showing up out of the blue like this.

"How did you escape?" Giovanni asked. "They obviously had you bound, otherwise you'd have fought them off before they burned you."

He had no idea why Giovanni was asking such a question, but he saw no harm in answering and said, "Gold."

Giovanni's eyebrows raised slightly. "The young man who just left?"

The question made Silver curious as to how long his father had been waiting outside of the house, but not curious enough to ask, so he simply nodded. Giovanni leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and asked, "He's a friend, then?"

Friend? Well he was  _certainly_  that, but after Silver's reaction to Anthony trying to kiss Gold he couldn't exactly claim that was  _all_  he saw him as. Having  _that_  conversation with his father was not on the agenda today, though, so he said, "Yeah. A friend."

Giovanni chuckled lightly, and Silver looked in his direction with a quizzical expression painting his face. Giovanni half-smiled and said, "No matter how old you get, you still get that same tone in your voice when you lie, Silver."

An irritated snarl rumbled in Silver's throat before he said, "What do you want, Dad?"

Keeping his voice as calm as it always was, Giovanni said, "You are aware that having a relationship with him could put him at risk, yes?"

This conversation was becoming less and less tolerable by the second, so Silver snapped, "It already  _has_! So if you're trying to tell me to stay away from him, save your fucking breath! Team Rocket already knows about him, so leaving him now will just make it so I can't protect him!"

It wasn't until he'd finished his little rant that he realized it. He never once denied that he and Gold were in a relationship, even though they obviously weren't yet. Just like it had at the barbecue, his mind had instantly shifted to the default of Gold being  _his_. It was becoming troublesome, especially since he wasn't entirely sure if he was ready for a relationship yet.

To Silver's surprise, Giovanni smiled. And it was a real smile, not one of his forced ones. Silver could tell because the old man's eyes also lit up like Silver had never seen before.

Giovanni reached into the pocket of his black pants and said, "You really do care for him, don't you?"

Before Silver could answer, Giovanni drew out a slip of paper. He held it out to Silver, and Silver took it before unfolding it. He scanned what was written on it, and his eyes slowly widened at the message on it. It was the code to the vault written out with four extra digits on the end. Underneath it was written the directions for implementing the extra code, a code that, when entered, would set  _all_  of the contents of the vault ablaze in an instant. Silver eyed his father intently, utterly confused as to why Giovanni was giving him this.

Giovanni's eyes darted to the floor and he said, "Before I heard about the attack, I had no idea Team Rocket had been targeting you. I don't expect you to keep defending the contents of that vault, not if it puts you and the man you love in danger."

Silver visibly flinched at the word "love." He didn't even want to start  _thinking_  about that word. Things with Gold were already complicated enough. Standing from the couch, Giovanni looked down at Silver and carried on, "So if you're ever in a situation where protecting the vault is no longer worth it, all you have to do is enter that code and destroy everything in it. I'd hoped the vault might be salvaged as there are several things in there that you are meant to inherit, but the past isn't worth your life."

Giovanni then started heading for the front door, obviously planning on leaving. He picked up his coat and hat before saying, "There's enough money in the vault to keep you and Gold comfortable for the rest of your lives. If you  _do_  decide to destroy it, you should consider taking as much of that money as you can first."

Giovanni put the hat back on his head and he was reaching for the sunglasses when Silver impulsively called out, "Wait."

Giovanni paused and turned back, curiosity plain on his face. Silver cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "You, um... don't have to leave. I have to go to work soon, but Gold's gonna call me later and I'll... ask him to come over so you can meet him."

From the look on Giovanni's face you'd think Silver had just sprouted mushrooms from his head. The old man reached for the hat, preparing to remove it as he said, "Why?"

It was a fair question. Silver had been less than kind to his father over the years, so the very idea that Silver was inviting him to stay at his home for any length of time had to be shocking. But having him meet Gold on top of that? There was no way Giovanni had seen that coming. Silver had to admit that he was equally nervous about Gold meeting Giovanni, but Gold's words during their camping trip hadn't been lost on Silver. Gold had asked him to give Giovanni a chance, and he was going to do it, if only to make Gold happy. Strange that he could so easily admit to himself that he was doing things  _solely_  for the sake of Gold's happiness, but this was his situation. No sense in denying it.

"Because," Silver answered, "he's the reason I didn't slam the door in your face as soon as I saw you."

Another smile formed on the old man's face, and he put all of his belongings back where they were as he said, "All right, Son."

It was strange to think of his father spending the day at his house, especially since they hadn't spent more than five minutes together in years. But there was also something calming about the whole thing. Miranda had opened him up to what it felt like to be part of a family, and if he could possibly get that with his own father, that would be even better. Heading off to his room to get ready for work, he felt another of his many burdens lift from his chest.

* * *

Gold's Altaria touched down outside of New Bark Town's hospital, and he found Miranda waiting outside of the automatic sliding doors. She smiled at him as he returned Altaria to its pokeball. Turning to her, he took her hand and asked, "How are you feeling, Mom?"

"I'm all right," she said. "Let's get inside and get signed in."

She led him into the hospital waiting room and he stood by as she registered at the front. Then came the waiting game. No doubt Dr. Nicholas was busy, especially considering he was one of only a few surgeons in all of New Bark Town. Gold followed Miranda over to the waiting area, and when they both sat down, Miranda turned to him with a sly look on her face and asked, "So? Did you make a move?"

Gold blew a laugh through his nose. That didn't take long. Half the time it seemed like Miranda wanted him to start dating Silver more than  _he_  did. Leaning back into the chair, he answered, "Yeah, but don't get too excited. I don't think he's ready yet."

He heard her grumble before she asked, "Why? Did he push you away?"

Gold wanted to verbally groan at the question. Not because he was irritated at her for asking, but because of how frustrated he'd been since the night before. This was the  _second_  time he'd come ridiculously close to kissing Silver, only to have it yanked from him at the last second, and both times had left him miserably unfulfilled.

"Not exactly," he said. "But he may as well have."

Miranda's hand moved to his thigh and she smiled as she said, "You knew this might happen."

She was right about that. As far as Gold knew, Silver had never been with a man before. Before all of this happened, Silver might not have even been  _aware_  that he was attracted to men. Gold couldn't begin to fathom how confusing and utterly nerve-wracking that had to be for Silver because Gold had always known what he liked and what he wanted. Which was why he knew he needed to be patient. The last thing he needed was to push things too fast and wind up driving Silver away.

Placing his hand over top of Miranda's, he said, "I know, Mom. Don't worry. I'm not gonna give up on him."

She turned her hand over and gave his a squeeze. "You'd better not."

He looked into her eyes and saw the playful happiness that had been behind them ever since he'd told her about his and Silver's "almost" kiss in the woods. She'd been so overjoyed to hear it that she'd started dancing in the middle of the living room.

But then, after a few seconds, he saw all elation fade from her eyes, along with the color in her cheeks. She blinked twice, and before Gold was able to react, she fell from her chair and straight onto the floor. He flew down to her side and was about to ask her what was wrong when her body started violently convulsing. Ice ran through his veins as he turned her on her side, knowing what was happening, but being unable to do anything to stop it. He heard himself call for help, and he saw the nurses and residents start to surround then, but his mind had zeroed in on his mother and whether or not she was going to live long enough to even  _see_  the Doctor about the treatment that was meant to save her life.

The seizure stopped on its own and the hospital staff lifted her onto a bed before wheeling her off deeper into the hospital. Gold was still on his knees, unable to move, and unable to hear the voices of the nurses desperately trying to tell him that they would do everything they could to help her. He didn't care. He didn't have room to care. All he had room for was the worry and absolute devastation that was wracking his entire body. It took feeling a strong arm grip his bicep and pull him to his feet to snap him out of his trance. When he turned to see who the arm belonged to, he was face to face with Sheriff Jim.

The Sheriff led Gold over to one of the waiting room chairs and sat him down. That was when Gold finally noticed how badly his entire body was trembling and how painfully hard his heart was beating.

Jim took a seat next to him and said, "You okay, son?"

Gold didn't hesitate to shake his head. No. He absolutely was  _not_  okay.

* * *

Gold still hadn't called. Silver clocked out after his short, five-hour shift and was about to head home when he checked his pokegear and didn't even see so much as a message from Gold. That was strange, to say the least. It was possible Gold had forgotten to call, but highly unlikely, especially considering how excited he was to learn about the treatment.

Vanessa, who had shown up to relieve him, clocked in at the computer as she said, "Hey, you okay? You look worried."

Silver looked up from the pokegear and said, "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

Like clockwork, Vanessa smirked and said, "Expecting a call from your dreamboat?"

Silver sighed heavily. "And now I'm leaving."

As he was walking around the counter and toward the door, Vanessa leaned onto the counter and said, "Oh, come on. Don't be like that. Will you at least tell me if you're dating yet?"

The woman was absolutely relentless and equally insufferable, but he also knew she meant no harm in her inquiries. So, just this once, he threw her a bone and said, "No. We're not."

Just as he thought she would, she groaned and said, "Well what the hell are you waiting for?"

Throwing her a quick wave, he exited the building and headed toward his house. As annoying as she was being about the whole thing, Silver had to admit that her question was a fair one. Even  _he_  didn't know what he was waiting for. He knew now that Gold was interested, and he wanted Gold so badly that simply being in his presence was a constant struggle against his own impulses. So what  _was_  he waiting for? He knew he was nervous about the whole ordeal, but he'd never been with a man before and he was already weird about relationships of any kind, so that nervousness wasn't likely to go away anytime soon.

And it wasn't as if he had to worry about Gold judging him for his apprehensiveness or pushing things too fast. Gold was possibly  _the_  most considerate person Silver had ever met in his life. If he knew Gold, the younger man was probably far more worried about this whole thing than he was, being the incessant worry wart that he was. But was it really that simple? Just give in, kiss Gold, and start dating? He didn't see any reason why it  _shouldn't_  be that easy. As he finally made it to his door, he decided. The next time things got heated, he would not fight it. He would simply let things flow and see what came of it.

He opened his front door and found Giovanne sitting on the sofa watching what looked like  _True Grit_ with John Wayne. He was unsurprised to see his father watching a Western. It was among his favorite genres. He greeted his father before heading off to his room to change out of his work clothes. As he placed his pokegear on the bedside table, he was reminded of the fact that Gold still hadn't called. He was growing more concerned with each passing second, so after he finished dressing, he took his pokegear and headed into the living room, deciding he would call Gold himself.

He dialed the number and the phone rang. However, after several rings, Gold did not answer. Okay, now he was  _really_  worried. Gold had never failed to pick up the phone before. He dialed the number again, hoping maybe Gold just hadn't made it to the phone in time.

At this point, Giovanni had paused his movie and asked, "What's wrong, Silver?"

Silver's heart pounded just a little bit faster when Gold didn't pick up for the second time. He couldn't hold back the worry in his voice when he said, "Gold never called, and now he's not picking up. This isn't like him."

Giovanni looked like he was about to say something when a knock on Silver's front door grabbed his attention. Pocketing his pokegear he dashed to the door and opened it, only to feel a weight come down onto his chest at the sight of Gold standing there, red faced, with tears staining his cheeks.

Silver stood aside to let him in and said, "Gold, what happened?"

Gold walked slowly inside, but stopped after a few steps when he saw Giovanni standing in the middle of the living room. Turning away from the old man, Gold looked at Silver and said, "Sorry. I didn't know your dad was here."

Silver looked at his father, and Giovanni seemed to understand what was happening and headed toward the door. He placed a hand on Silver's shoulder and said, "It's all right, Son. We can do this another time."

Silver nodded at his father as he collected his things and said, "Bye, Dad."

Giovanni said nothing more after that and quickly left the house, leaving Gold and Silver alone. Desperate to know what was wrong, Silver took Gold by his left hand and led him over to the couch. He switched off the TV as they sat down and didn't let go of Gold's hand when he said, "Tell me."

Gold gripped Silver's hand in response, and Silver could hear the utter devastation in his voice when Gold said, "While we were waiting to see the doctor, Mom...had a seizure."

Silver felt his whole body tense at those words. Miranda. A seizure. His immediate response was to ask, "Is she...?"

Gold shook his head. "She's alive, but... after she was stabilized Dr. Nicholas came to me. He said that he would still be willing to give Mom the treatment, but he'd just gotten off the phone with the insurance company and they... won't cover it."

The sorrow Silver had been feeling was instantly replaced with rage in those seconds. The insurance company was refusing to pay for the treatment? What possible reason could they have for doing that?

"They said," Gold went on, "That the treatment is still too new and, after the seizure, Mom is too great of a risk."

The rage in Silver's chest built as he spat, "Nice way of saying, " _We don't think it's gonna work, so we're not even gonna bother trying_.""

Silver always knew insurance companies had about as much integrity as a used car salesman, but that fact had never really affected him before. Now it was, and he wanted to march down to that insurance company and set the whole place on fire. They didn't even care that this was a woman's  _life_  they were toying with.

He saw a few more tears leak from Gold's eyes when he said, "I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. She didn't. She knows nothing is certain. But I just... I needed the hope. I needed to believe I wasn't gonna lose her."

Silver didn't cry often. In fact, he could count on two hands the number of times he remembered crying in his whole life. But sitting here, listening to Gold's utterly defeated tone was enough to draw buckets of tears from Silver's eyes. He squeezed Gold's hand tighter and used his other hand to draw Gold into a clumsy hug. Gold's head rested snuggly on Silver's shoulder, and Silver's arm grasped him tightly.

Gold's free hand gripped onto Silver's shirt, and his voice cracked when he said, "I don't know how I'm supposed to do this. I can't... fathom a world that doesn't have my mom in it."

Silver could sense that Gold was asking for some kind of advice. He needed Silver to say something, anything to help him make sense of this. But what was he supposed to say? Of all the tragedies in the world, this was the one Silver had absolutely  _no_  experience with. He had no family apart from his father. He'd never loved anyone in his life enough to feel the devastation of a loss. He was the absolute last person who should have been comforting Gold. But he knew had to say  _something_.

Trying to keep his voice steady, he said, "I'd imagine most people just keep finding something to fight for, or... something else to hold on to."

Gold didn't respond at first, but the tension in the air lessened a bit, and Gold's grip on his hand loosened. He heard Gold sniffle a bit, and, after a long pause wherein neither of them made a sound, Gold said, "Something else to hold on to?"

He was about to admit to Gold that it probably didn't sound like very good advice. However, he was silenced when Gold lifted his head away from his shoulder and released his grip on his hand. He raised his eyes to meet Silver's, and Silver was certain he swooned when he saw the intensity with which Gold was looking at him. Behind the anguish and suffering, Silver saw raw, unfiltered need in Gold's eyes. Need. Gold needed him. Silver wasn't prepared for how overwhelming that fact was. Nor was he prepared for what happened next.

Without any warning, Gold's hand grasped onto the back of Silver's head, and he pulled Silver in. Their lips crashed together hastily at first, but once Silver realized what was happening, his whole body seemed to go limp. Gold was kissing him, really, truly kissing him. After a few seconds, Gold pulled back, only to immediately slot their lips together again, more gingerly this time. Gold's lips were wet and salty with tears, but Silver decided nothing in his life had ever tasted so good. He willed himself to kiss Gold back, to let Gold know that he  _did_  want this, but something was stopping him.

A voice in the back of his mind, his own voice, was screaming at him. He'd just told Gold to find something else to hold on to. Then he'd kissed him. That told Silver one thing: this wasn't  _just_  a kiss. This was Gold choosing  _him_  as his "something to hold on to." And the cruel, brutally honest voice was shouting, " _You aren't good enough. You don't deserve it_." He knew the voice was right. He'd thought it since the beginning. No one as good, kind, and loyal as Gold should  _ever_  be involved with someone like him. He wasn't worthy.

The thought pulled Silver out of his ecstasy and he quickly broke the kiss. Heavy, labored breaths escaped from his lips and his heartbeat was a drum roll. Gold's voice punched through his thoughts, "Silver?"

Silver looked in Gold's direction for only a second before immediately averting his eyes again. Run. That's what his instincts were telling him. Run away now. And had he been in his right mind, he might have fought that instinct, but he couldn't. Not now. Not after what had just happened.

So he ran. He heard Gold call after him as he bolted out of the front door and searched around for the nearest hiding place. Too much. This was just too damned much.


	13. The Sacrifice

From his hiding place behind a nearby house, Silver heard Gold stop calling for him and presumably give up. For that, he was grateful. This shit was already embarassing enough. He couldn't believe he'd just ran away like that. He'd never considered himself a coward. In fact, he'd prided himself on not being afraid of much of anything. But Gold kisses him one time and suddenly he's turned into a frightened child and run away from home. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. He should have just told Gold what he was thinking. He should have explained what was going on in his head, but now it was too late. He was far too embarassed and far too nervous to go running back to Gold now. Which was troublesome since Gold was currently at his house. He sighed heavily and wished he was flexible enough to turn around and kick his own ass. This was beyond humilliating.

"Trouble in paradise?" came a familiar voice.

Silver turned to see Crystal walk out of the back door of the house he'd been hiding behind. Her hair was in shambles and it was obvious by the bags under her eyes that she hadn't been sleeping well. Not surprising. The death of her father was still pretty fresh. Still, he hadn't expected to see her here, so he asked, "What are you doing here?"

She shrugged and said, "My uncle is a sailor, and he goes away from home for weeks at a time. So I decided I'd house sit for him. I needed some time alone anyway."

Realizing he was probably intruding, Silver said, "I get that. Sorry, I'll get out of here."

He turned to leave, only to be stopped by her hand grasping his shoulder. He looked back at her, and she motioned for him to follow as she said, "If you're planning to keep hiding from Gold, you may as well sit on a couch and have a beer."

He was hesitant at first, but after Crystal insisted he come in, he followed without further argument. It was strange to be following Crystal into someone else's house, especially when he and Crystal didn't know each other all that well. They weren't total strangers, but neither were they really friends, so he wasn't sure why she was helping him. She led him into a rather large living room with a three-cushion sofa and a love seat. He took a seat on one side of the couch while she went to the kitchen and pulled two beers out of the refrigerator.

She tossed him one, sat down on the opposite side of the couch, and asked, "What happened?"

Wait... She was seriously asking him what happened between him and Gold? He didn't think it was possible for him to become  _more_  uncomfortable, but Crystal had just accomplished that very thing. He took a long swing from the beer, and sat it down on the end table, unsure of how to begin. When he didn't answer after several seconds, Crystal said, "Look, I wanna help, but I can't do that if you don't-"

"He kissed me," Silver blurted out.

His entire face was set ablaze as soon as the words left his mouth. This wasn't something he did. He didn't talk to people about his personal life, much less about anything as intimate as what he'd just told Crystal. So he knew the only way he'd be able to say it was just to  _say_ it. Didn't make it sting any less, though.

Crystal didn't make a big deal of it, however, and simply asked, "So is the problem that you  _didn't_  want it or is the problem that you  _did_?"

He wasn't even going to attempt to deny that he wanted it. In fact, he was certain he'd never wanted anything more in his entire life. But voicing those words out loud, he wasn't sure he could. Crystal apparently didn't need him to say anything, however, as she went on, "From your silence I'm gonna guess you  _did_. So what exactly is the problem?"

The problem? He knew very well what the problem was, and as much as he didn't want to tell her, he knew she wasn't going to drop it until he did. She'd known, from the very beginning, what was going to happen between him and Gold. And if her threatening Silver was any indication, he could be certain she was going to do everything she could to ensure Gold's happiness. Besides, it wasn't like she could do any more harm than he'd already done himself.

Keeping his eyes averted, he said, "He's just... he's  _good_."

He wasn't sure if she would get his meaning, but she immediately responded, "And, what? You don't think you are?"

He couldn't hold back a sarcastic laugh. "No. You don't know the things I've done... the person I used to be."

She took a drink of her own beer and he saw the annoyance on her face when she said, "No, but  _used to be_  are the key words here. I don't give a good god damn  _what_  you were in the past. All I care about is what you are  _now_. And right now, you're the guy who saved Gold from drowning. You're the guy who taught him how to swim. And you're the guy who stood between him and a loaded gun."

It didn't surprise Silver that Crystal knew about all of those things. She  _was_  Gold's best friend. He probably told her everything. But no matter what she said, no matter how many different ways she tried to say it: he couldn't get past that voice and the images in his head. Every time he would start to consider giving in and letting the relationship with Gold happen, he would see the faces of the women he'd hurt. He would see their tears, he would feel their pain, and he would hear their sobs of anguish as they discovered how he'd manipulated them. How could  _he_ , a person who had so easily toyed with the feelings of so many women, possibly think himself worthy of Gold? No. Gold deserved better.

Shaking his head, he picked the beer can back up and said, "It's not enough."

Crystal released her own sarcastic laugh and shot him a glare when she said, "You are so full of shit."

He was about to respond when she cut him off and went on, "Let's pretend for a second that you're  _not_  using this as some kind of bullshit excuse to avoid being with him. Is there a single fucking thing you  _could_  do to make yourself "good enough" for him?"

Off the top of his head? No. He couldn't think of a single thing. Even if he could magically cure Miranda's cancer, he still didn't think he would be able to find himself worthy. Not with someone as good as...

' _There's enough money in the vault to keep you and Gold comfortable for the rest of your lives_.'

That conversation. He'd pretty much forgotten it as soon as Gold showed up at his door with tears in his eyes. Enough to keep him and Gold comfortable for the rest of their lives? No. Enough to pay for a treatment that the insurance company didn't want to fork over the money for. He knew Team Rocket was probably keeping tabs on him, and there was a good chance they would follow him to the vault. But the risk was the furthest thing from his mind. He  _could_  save Miranda. All he had to do was get into the vault and find that money.

He left his almost empty beer can on the end table as he stood from the couch and said, "Maybe."

He then headed for the door without further explanation. Of course, Crystal followed him. When he reached the door, he tried to open it, but she pushed it closed again and said, "Hang on. Are you about to go do something stupid?"

Stupid? Yeah. This idea was pretty stupid, considering the risks, but he didn't care. Miranda's life and Gold's happiness far outweighed it in his mind. Being stronger than her, he easily forced the door open and stepped outside, readying his Crobat's pokeball.

Crystal chased after him and said, "Well, if you're not gonna answer then I'm coming with you."

He stopped short of releasing Crobat and turned swiftly to Crystal. He looked sternly into her eyes and said, "No. You can't know about where I'm going. It'll put you in danger."

She placed her hands firmly on her hips and said, "So you  _are_  doing something stupid."

Ignoring her, he released his Crobat and climbed onto its back. He heard Crystal calling after him for only a few seconds before he told Crobat, "Goldenrod City, boy. On the double."

* * *

What had he done? After learning the terrible news from Dr. Nicholas, Gold's first desire was to see Silver. He knew, no matter what Miranda said, there was nothing she could possibly say that would make him feel better. But Silver, he had a way of looking at things that Gold simply didn't have, so he thought Silver would have the greatest chance of easing his pain, at least a little. And he'd thought he was right...for a few seconds.

Kissing Silver, there weren't sufficient words to describe how good that felt. Every hair on his body had stood on end, and he remembered how hard he had to resist pushing Silver down onto the couch and attacking him right then. And, for those few seconds, all of Gold's pain vanished. For those few seconds, he was able to forget the fact that all of his hopes had just been crushed.

Then Silver ran, and now Gold was in the awful position of running all over Olivine looking for him. He'd known Silver was nervous. That was obvious by how he'd pulled away when Gold tried to kiss him the night before. He'd even told his mother that he didn't think Silver was ready. But as soon as his own emotions got the better of him, he instantly forgot all of that and kissed Silver anyway. This was all his fault, and now he had to face the possibility that he'd just driven Silver away for good.

After his third or fourth time running around this small part of the city, he decided his only option was to head back to Silver's house and wait for him there. He could only hope the redhead would return soon. On his way back to the house, however, he was stopped when he heard a familiar female voice shouting, "Silver!"

He turned and headed in the direction of the voice, only to find exactly who he'd been expecting to see: Crystal. She was looking up at what Gold could now see was Silver flying away on his Crobat. Gold bolted to Crystal's side and said, "Crystal? What the hell is going on?"

Reaching for one of the pokeballs on her belt, she said, "I'm not sure, but we need to follow him. Now."

She then opened the pokeball and a Pidgeot emerged, who cooed loudly before Crystal climbed onto its back. Gold followed suit and let out his Altaria. The two of them took off into the air, only barely managing to keep Silver in sight. Crobat was viciously fast, after all.

Calling out loudly, Gold asked, "What happened?"

She sighed with obvious annoyance and said, "This idiot has it in his head that he's not good enough for you, so now he's going off on some stupid mission to "prove his worth," I guess."

Not good enough? Was that really why Silver had run away? Gold had been certain that Silver had run because he'd pushed things too fast, but this was unexpected. He knew Silver struggled with guilt over his past, but he had no idea it was making him  _this_  insecure. If that  _was_  the reason, however, it was an easy fix. He just had to tell Silver to stop being an idiot.

Silver's sudden departure was worrisome, however, so Gold asked, "Did he say where he was going?"

She shook her head. "He said I couldn't know about where he was going because it would "put me in danger," or something."

Gold's face wilted and his chest stung at Crystal's words. Knowing where Silver was going would put her in danger? Leaning forward, Gold whispered for Altaria not to lose sight of Silver. The bird gave a confident chirp and seemed to start moving just a little bit faster. Crystal's Pidgeot noticed and sped up to match the pace.

Gold then turned to Crystal and said, "He's going to the vault."

With a quizzical look on her face, Crystal asked, "What's the vault?"

Gold's eyebrows ran together and his eyes moved to Silver, who was still in sight, but very much ahead of them. "It's the reason Team Rocket's been after him."

His fists clenched tightly, and his teeth ground together as he snapped, "Dammit! What the hell is he thinking!?"

Crystal didn't answer, probably because she knew it would do no good. Gold had only just found out that his mother wasn't getting the treatment that could save her life, which meant he was guaranteed to lose her. Now Silver was running off and putting himself directly into danger, like he had so many times already. The Rocket, the Gyarados, Entei, and now this. It seemed Silver was determined to get himself killed for the sake of Gold. But he wouldn't allow it. Gold had precious few people he cared about in his life, and he wasn't about to let one of them die.

They followed Silver until he touched down in Goldenrod City, right outside of the building that led to the Magnet Train. Unfortunately, he was off of Crobat and into the building before Gold or Crystal could even reach the building. The two of them rushed inside, only to see the train doors closing behind Silver. He turned around, and Gold met his eyes for only a moment before the train sped away, leaving Crystal and Gold behind.

Gold could feel the heat in his cheeks when he grunted in frustration and said, "Fuck!"

Several people around him looked in his direction, but he didn't care. He needed a plan, and he needed one fast. The Magnet Trains were rarely far behind each other, so he knew he could get to Kanto not too long after Silver, but he had no idea of knowing  _where_  in Kanto Silver was headed. It would be easier if he  _knew_  Giovanni at all. At least then he might be able to take an educated guess as to where the vault was.

Wait... Giovanni.  _'He doesn't call me very often. Phone calls are too easy to track.'_

Tracking. That was it. If he could call Silver and get him to pick up, he could use an app on his pokegear to track him. The app wasn't exactly endorsed by Silph Co. but it didn't matter at the moment. He had to find Silver.

Fishing his pokegear out of his pocket, Gold called Silver's number. It rang several times, which he expected. Silver was obviously going to try to ignore him. But if their history had taught Gold anything, it was that Silver was stubborn, but not as stubborn as he was. He called again, and again, at least four times before Silver finally picked up the phone.

Before the redhead could say anything, Gold snapped, "What has gotten into you!?"

Silver, seemingly not bothered by Gold's tone, simply said, "Stay in Johto, Gold."

Gold scoffed. "Like hell I will! Do you have  _any_  idea what you're doing!?"

He heard Silver scoff right back before saying, "Yeah. I've got  _some_  notion."

Gold wasn't able to say anything else before Silver hung up. Gold groaned in frustration, but he also knew that he'd been on the phone long enough for the app to pick up on Silver's pokegear. With the app running, Gold and Crystal hopped on the next magnet train and set off for Kanto.

* * *

Silver walked out of the Magnet Train station in Saffron and called Crobat back out. He gave the Pokemon directions to Viridian City and they were off within only a few seconds. He knew Gold and Crystal probably weren't far behind him, so he didn't want to waste any time.

As they flew over the Kanto landscape, Silver leaned down and said, "Listen, Crobat. The place we're going, it's not safe. I could wind up in some serious trouble."

Crobat released what Silver recognized as a battle cry, one he'd heard many times over the years. Of course Crobat was unafraid of danger. Always had been. Patting Crobat softly on the back of his head, Silver went on, "When we get to the gym, I need you to perch yourself on the roof and stay out of sight. I'm gonna be going into the vault to get something, and if something happens, if I'm attacked, I want you to take it and run."

At those words, Crobat stopped. Its wings continued to flap as it hovered in the air, and a low, irritated snarl rumbled in its chest. It screeched loudly at Silver, seemingly chastising him for even suggesting such a thing. Silver kept his voice calm yet stern when he said, "I know you don't run. You never have. But this isn't about you, and this isn't about me. What I'm getting out of that vault, it needs to get to Gold, no matter what."

The snarling stopped, and after a few seconds, Crobat's voice softened. Its screech turned into a pitiful cry, and Silver could feel the tension in its body. It shook its head weakly and whimpered, knowing what Silver was implying. He knew how hard this was going to be for Crobat before he even asked. He knew as well as anyone that Golbat only evolves into Crobat if it truly loves its trainer, which made the bonb between Silver and his Crobat very special. Asking Crobat to potentially leave him behind to be hurt or killed was a harsh, cold thing to do, but Silver also knew it was necessary. Miranda's life and Gold's happiness were on the line, and, compared to that, his life seemed inconsequential.

He had to comfort it somehow, so he leaned his forehead against the back of Crobat's head and said, "I know this is a lot to ask of you, and if there was any other way, I'd take it. But I know I can trust you to do what needs to be done."

Crobat still didn't move, and it released a dissatisfied growl, letting Silver know that wasn't good enough. Silver smiled warmly at his Pokemon. He knew what it wanted. Crobat wanted a promise that Silver would try his hardest to stay alive in the event that it had to leave him, and he could sense that the Pokemon wouldn't be taking him anywhere until he made that promise.

Stroking the back of Crobat's head lightly, Silver said, "If I'm attacked, I promise I'll fight back with everything I have."

Crobat finally started moving again, seemingly satisfied with Silver's promise. As much as he hated having to ask this of Crobat, he was glad that his Pokemon trusted him enough to agree. The only thing that remained was getting to the vault and putting the money in Crobat's loyal claws.

They reached Viridian City just as the sun was dipping under the horizon, and as soon as Crobat landed outside of the Viridian Gym, it did as it was asked and flew to the roof to hide. Silver went straight to the correct brick on the wall of the gym and pulled it free, exposing the pulsing red button that would reveal the door to the vault. As soon as he pressed it, he heard the sound of the ground next to the gym shifting and turned in time to see the hidden stairwell that led to the vault door. He descended the stairs quickly and entered the code into the nearby keypad.

The steel door screeched as it opened, and Silver stepped inside before it closed behind him. The place was beyond huge, and as soon as he caught the first glimpse of what was contained within, he understood why Team Rocket knowing about this place was a great danger. Row after row of countless different guns were sitting inside of what looked like trophy cases, clearly a collection his father had started decades ago. A nearby table was littered with an assortment of tools one could use to clean the guns, and on the same table sat a brown duffle bag. Deciding that would be the best thing to put the money in, he unzipped it to see what was inside.

He found dozens upon dozens of gun clips, and he growled at the sheer volume of fire power his father had sitting in this vault. This was insane, beyond insane. He didn't bother trying to be neat and simply dumped the clips out onto the table, freeing the bag for his use. Now he just needed to find where Giovanni was keeping the money. He checked several rooms that were filled with what looked like files and different kinds of paper work until he finally found it. It was less a room and more of a walk-in closet, but it was still filled to the absolute brim with stacks of one-hundred dollar bills. Giovanni hadn't been kidding when he said there was enough money in here to set Silver and Gold up for life.

Setting the duffle bag on the floor, he started grabbing wads of cash, not bothering to make an exact count of how much he was getting. He only knew he would need as much as he could stuff in the bag, so that was what he took. As soon as he had what he needed, he picked the duffle bag up and started to rush toward the exit of the vault. He was halted, however, when he heard voices from beyond the metal door, voices he knew didn't belong to Gold or Crystal.

Knowing what he was about to face, he unhooked the belt that held his Pokeballs and placed them inside of the bag with the cash. If he knew Team Rocket, they had guns, and the last thing he needed was his Pokemon letting themselves out of their Pokeballs and trying to take a bullet for him. He would not drag them into this danger. Not ever again. Without any hesitation, he let himself out of the vault and immediately closed it behind him to prevent the Rockets from entering. He reached the top of the stairs and was not surprised to see the blue-eyed Rocket standing with two of his friends.

Those blue eyes held a look of absolute contempt when he said, "Silver."

Just as he'd planned, Silver shouted, "Crobat" and threw the duffle bag into the air. Quicker than Team Rocket could move, Crobat zipped through the air, caught the bag, and took off into the night sky, just as it had been ordered to. It didn't look back, and Silver allowed a satisfied smile to form on his lips. For once, things had gone according to plan, and now he had nothing more to worry about.

The blue-eyed Rocket stomped up to Silver, drove his arm into his chest, and shoved him into the wall next to the stairs right as the ground returned to normal, hiding the vault's door once again. The blue-eyed Rocket, clearly having lost his patience, snapped, "I'm fed up with this game, Silver. Tell us how to open it."

Keeping his promise to Crobat, Silver drove a knee into the blue-eyed Rocket's stomach and followed that up with an immediate left hook that sent the Rocket stumbling to the side. Silver was about to continue on when a searing pain in his arm followed instantly by a full-body shock left him completely immobile. His every muscle tensed up and twitched, his head pounded, and his eyes felt like they would spring from his skull. Despite not being able to see the weapon, he knew what it was: a taser. Of course they would use a taser. They couldn't kill him, after all.

When the shocking finally ceased, Silver lay face down in the grass, his whole body aching. The blue-eyed Rocket didn't let him stay there, though, and took him by his hair before raising his upper body up and slamming his back against the wall yet again. This time, Blue-Eyes drew a pistol from its holster and pressed the barrel against the center of Silver's forehead.

Silver smirked at the bruise forming on the Rocket's cheek and said, "It amazes me how you keep trying the same shit and expecting different results."

Blue-Eyes, apparently, didn't appreciate Silver's sarcasm as he raised the gun and brought it down hard over the side of Silver's head. Silver scarcely felt it, however, as his body was still wracked with the lingering pain from the taser.

Blue-Eyes then got to his feet and said, "Fuck this. I'm done with this brat. Get the camera ready. Let's see how tight-lipped old Daddy Dearest is when he sees his baby boy screaming in agony."

Silver saw one of the underlings scramble to pull a camera from his pocket while the other handed Blue-Eyes a very familiar blowtorch. Silver knew what they planned to do. They were going to record him being tortured and send the footage off to his father. No doubt they were gonna hold him hostage afterward and use him as leverage, but there was nothing he could do. The taser had effectively made his muscles useless, and after being pistol whipped in the head, he wasn't exactly able to think straight. All he could do was sit meekly by as Blue-Eyes took one of his wrists and pinned his arm against the wall with one hand and lit the blowtorch with the other. Silver could just barely see the flame inching closer and closer to the exposed skin on his arm, so he closed his eyes and sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, determined to do everything he could to avoid screaming. If they wanted to do this, he certainly wasn't going to make it easy for them.

But he felt no burn, and instead heard what sounded like the "caw" of a bird followed immediately by Blue-Eyes screaming, "FUCK!"

Silver opened his eyes and was beyond flabbergasted to see Gold, mounted on his Altaria, standing between him and the Rockets as well as Crystal swooping down on a Pidgeot. Altaria opened its beak and launched a Dragon Pulse in the direction of the three Rockets, sending them scrambling to avoid being hit while pulling their weapons from their holsters. Meanwhile, Crystal's Pidgeot flapped its powerful wings and sent a massive Gust toward them, which blew the weapons from their hands and into the woods behind the gym. Afterward, both of the birds stood side-by-side and released bellowing battle cries that seemed to dare the Rockets to try anything else.

Blue-Eyes' face burned so red that Silver was certain he would blow steam from his ears any second. He made a hand motion toward his two followers and glared intensely at Silver when he said, "This isn't over, brat."

An empty threat if Silver had ever heard one. If he wasn't in so much pain, he might have laughed at the Rocket's attempt to intimidate him. Blue-Eyes and his friends disappeared into the night and Silver was delighted to hear a familiar screech, followed by his Crobat returning to him. The purple bat dropped the duffle bag at Silver's side, and Silver smiled at it as he said, "Thanks, Crobat."

Crobat cooed happily and spun in a circle before landing next to its trainer. Silver patted its head right as Gold slid off Altaria's back and rushed to Silver's side. Gold knelt and desperately asked, "Silver, are you okay?"

Silver had to swallow a gasp when Gold suddenly grasped onto the sides off his head and started checking him for injuries. Gold gently placed his hand against the sore spot on Silver's head where the pistol had connected. Silver saw the hand come away with a small amount of blood on it, which was unsurprising.

The bloody hand clenched into a fist and Gold snarled, "Goddammit."

Knowing how Gold liked to worry, Silver immediately said, "I'm fine, Gold."

Gold shook his head, and his eyes misted over when he said, "Come on, we're going home."

Taking Silver by his arm, Gold hoisted him up and helped him onto Crobat's back. Silver was about to ask the Pokemon to pick up the duffle bag, but Crobat moved without even being asked and took the handle of the bag between its teeth. With everything in place, the three trainers took off into the sky, ready to head back to Johto.

* * *

After saying goodnight to Crystal, Gold and Silver entered Silver's house, and Silver's first thought was getting to his bed so he could lie down. After the long trip back, he was able to walk, but every single one of this muscles still ached with every step. Gold closed the door behind the two of them and followed Silver into his bedroom. After dropping the duffle bag on the floor next to the bed, Silver collapsed onto his back and released a heavy breath. Gold, however, stood by the bed, a stern look painting his features.

"Sit up," Gold said.

Silver wanted to groan aloud at Gold's command, but he decided against it. He could see that Gold was annoyed, and he didn't want to make that worse. So he shakily sat up, and was about to ask Gold what he needed when his head was suddenly thrown to the side by Gold's hand coming across his face, hard. Gold had slapped him before, but last time he hadn't just been tazed, so the pain had been less intense than it was now.

Turning his head slowly back, he jokingly said, "You know, one of these days I'm gonna hit you back."

Gold did not seem to be amused, however, and snapped, "What the hell were you thinking!? You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Silver sighed and shook his head. "They weren't gonna kill me. They wanted to use me as leverage against Giovanni. They couldn't do that if they killed me."

Gold released what Silver was certain was supposed to be a sarcastic laugh, but it came out as more pained than sarcastic. Gold ran his hand through his own hair before grabbing onto a giant wad of it and saying, "Could you be any more fucking nonchalant?"

Silver wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he remained silent as Gold exhaled a heavy breath and dropped down onto the bed next to Silver, so close that their shoulders were nearly touching. Gold leaned forward and held his head in his hands as he said, "You really don't care about your own life at all, do you?"

Care about his own life? No. He couldn't say that he did, but then he never really had. He'd always known what he was. Even when he was running around Johto, bullying Gold and getting into all kinds of trouble, he knew how worthless he was. When you know you're worthless, there's not really any reason to value your own life. But he wasn't about to tell Gold that, not when the younger man was already so clearly upset with him. So he did the only thing he could do and kept his mouth shut. There was no answer he could give that would satisfy both of them.

After receiving no answer, Gold raised his head and said, "If you're not gonna answer that, then at least tell me what was so fucking important that you had to run off and risk your life."

Now that, Silver could answer. In fact, he was more than ready to reveal to Gold the reason he'd gone out to the vault. He motioned his head toward the duffle bag and said, "Open it."

A distressed look still painted Gold's face as he leaned down and plucked the duffle bag up from the floor. He placed it on his lap, and Silver's heart began to pound harder as Gold pulled at the zipper and opened the bag to reveal the contents. Gold didn't say anything, and simply stared at the cash, seemingly dumbfounded by what he was seeing. Because of this reaction, Silver was unsure if Gold understood what the money was for.

To show him, Silver smirked and said, "Fuck the insurance company."

Silver saw the realization flash over Gold's features, and the younger man seemed to choke on a gasp when the full force of it hit him. Within seconds, tears formed in his eyes, and his cheeks turned a deep maroon. His hands clenched onto the duffle bag tightly and he whispered, "Damn you."

Tears began leaking from Gold's eyes, and Silver could see that he was holding in his voice to keep from sobbing. He couldn't blame him. The relief Gold had to be feeling right now was probably nothing short of overwhelming. Silver had seen how crushed Gold was when he'd returned from the hospital, and it was beyond amazing to see all of that sadness melt away. Just as he had when Gold had told him the story of his father, Silver reached a hand out and wiped the tears from one half of Gold's face. Only this time, Silver didn't pull it away when he was finished. Instead, he made a decision. Three times now he'd held himself back, and three times he'd regretted it. He wasn't doing it a fourth time.

His hand slipped to the back of Gold's neck, and his skin tingled at the feeling of Gold's hair sliding between his fingers. Their eyes locked, and Gold yielded to Silver's hand as he pulled Gold in. An absolutely delicious moan leaked from Gold's throat as their lips came together for the second time that day. Silver scarcely had time to adjust to the feeling before Gold leaned into the kiss heavily and wrapped his arms around Silver's neck. Gold's chest crashed into his, and while it was still painful to move, Silver captured Gold in an equally as tight embrace and pressed back against Gold's lips just as hungrily.

Never in his life had reason left Silver's mind so quickly. All he could hear were Gold's soft moans. All he could feel were the tear-stained lips that were currently devouring his own. He could make no sound, and his hands could perform no action apart from pulling the man in his arms even closer. Gold responded in kind and shifted his body weight forward, pushing Silver onto his back. Silver was sure he'd never been more turned on in his life when Gold threw his leg over and straddled him before leaning back into another equally feverish kiss. Gold kept his body weight from Silver and let both of his hands slide through Silver's hair as he pressed even harder against Silver's lips.

Silver hadn't thought the kiss could get any deeper, but Gold proved him wrong, and Silver was suddenly glad for the short gap between their bodies. Gold didn't seem to realize how tantalizing he was being, and there was nothing Silver could do to stop his body from reacting to him. So as the bulge in his pants grew, Silver raised one of his hands to the back of Gold's neck and pulled down on him just as hard as Gold was pushing. They attacked each other's lips with a desperation Silver didn't know either of them had, as if they were both starving and this was the only way their hunger could be sated.

Much to Silver's disappointment, Gold pulled away after a few more seconds, and pressed their foreheads together. Both of them breathed heavily, trying to catch their breath after such a heated exchange. Once Gold's breathing returned to normal, he gripped onto the sides of Silver's head tightly and said, "You have to stop this, Silver. You have to stop  _deliberately_  putting yourself in danger. You don't get to walk back into my life, make me care about you  _this_  much, and then get yourself killed. Your life... it isn't  _just_  yours anymore, do you understand?"

He had a feeling Gold might say something like that, and he was already prepared for it. Kissing Gold was the single most glorious thing Silver had ever felt, and he wasn't about to put himself in a position where he could never experience that again. So to drive home how serious he was, Silver looked directly into Gold's eyes, smiled warmly and said, "Okay, Gold."

A couple more tears leaked from Gold's eyes and dripped onto Silver's cheeks. Gold scrambled to wipe the tears from his eyes, but Silver pulled him back down before he could. He wasn't done with Gold yet, and he was determined to show Gold just how much he wanted him. After refusing him three times, he figured he owed Gold that much. Gold didn't seem bothered and went along, seemingly losing himself in the kiss just as Silver did. Neither of them was in any hurry to stop, so by the time they did, their lips were bright red and slightly swollen from how viciously they'd been ravished.

Gold flopped down on the bed next to Silver and peered up at the ceiling as he asked, "Can I stay in here with you?"

Silver ran one of his hands through Gold's hair and said, "Yeah."

Gold breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief as he kicked off his shoes and sat up to remove his shirt. Silver followed suit, and once they were both in nothing but their boxer shorts, they slid under the blanket, which was already warm from their combined body heat. Gold tucked himself under Silver's arm and lay his head on his chest. Silver's body came alive with goosebumps at the feeling of Gold so perfectly pressed up against him. Silver gripped onto Gold protectively and breathed out a satisfied sigh at Gold's fingertips gently stroking the skin below his collar bones. Now this,  _this_  he could definitely get used to.

Gold's voice was soft and gentle when he said, "You were never "unworthy" of me, Silver. I don't know where you got that stupid idea, but it was never true."

It didn't surprise Silver that Crystal had told Gold about their conversation. She was very clearly annoyed by Silver's insistence that he wasn't good enough for Gold. Neither she nor Gold understood why Silver felt the way that he did, and he decided he may as well tell Gold now while he was still nursing the high from the intense make-out session.

He leaned his cheek against the top of Gold's head and shakily began, "You saw glimpses into who I used to be because you were one of the victims. And forgiveness comes easier for you for that very reason. All you had to do was forgive me for what I did to  _you_. You didn't have to look at the faces of all of the other people I hurt, see their pain, and know that  _you_  were the one who caused it. You don't have to carry that weight. I do, and it doesn't get any lighter no matter how much I tell myself I've changed."

At this point, Gold's grip on Silver had become tighter, and Silver could feel the younger man's heart smashing against his chest. A tight ball had wound up in Silver's stomach, and he knew it would only unwind if he finished what he was saying, so he went on, "So you have no idea how hard it was for me to even  _consider_  being with you after everything I've done. Someone as  _good_  as you... you're the absolute  _last_  thing in this world that I deserve."

Gold turned his head up to look at Silver, and the redhead looked back in time for Gold to lean forward and place a brief, yet deep kiss on his lips. After he pulled away, Gold placed his hand against the side of Silver's neck and said, "If you were really the awful person you seem to think you are, you wouldn't have this weight weighing you down. Awful people don't care when they hurt others, so there's no reason for them to feel guilty. But you  _care_ , Silver. Whatever you were in the past, you are  _good_. I can see that, even if you don't want to. And good people deserve to be happy."

Gold rolled onto his belly and moved both of his hands onto Silver's chest as he said, "So if being with me makes you happy, then you  _do_  deserve it."

A few moments ago, Silver have been feeling a knot in his stomach, but now it was gone completely. In its place was nothing but a sheer, overwhelming warmth that had spread to his chest and his face.  _If_  being with Gold made him happy. The fact that Gold even used the word 'if' was laughable. No one in his whole life had ever made him feel as  _wanted_  as Gold had just done, so happy was an understatement. Despite his flaws, despite knowing who he used to be, Gold, just like Miranda, was accepting him completely and unconditionally.

He wrapped his arm around Gold and pulled him back down to his former position, wanting to hold him now more than ever. Gold snuggled back into his spot as if it were second nature, and Silver placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before saying, "Thank you."

There was nothing else he could say. No other words seemed sufficient. Gold didn't seem to mind, however, and joked, "I should be the one thanking you."

He knew Gold was referring to the money, but that wasn't something he'd ever expected thanks for. It was enough to know Gold was happy and that Miranda was going to receive her best chance for survival. So with Gold under his arm, Silver's eyes drifted closed and he found himself quickly lulled to sleep by the sound of Gold's soft breathing.


	14. The Perfect Day

When Silver awoke to the ringing of his alarm clock, he reached out to silence it, only to find a weight on him. His face flushed red as he realized Gold's arm was wrapped around his waist and the younger man was pressed up against him with his head resting on the same pillow. Silver flicked the switch on the clock and the ringing stopped. Golds eyes fluttered open, and before Silver could make another move, he felt Gold's finger tips push his hair away from his neck. A pleasurable shiver ran through Silver's entire body when Gold's lips descended on the sensitive skin. He left several drawn out kisses on Silver's neck, and Silver had to hold back from moaning when Gold's breaths brushed his ear. It was already morning time. The last thing Silver needed was Gold getting him stirred up on top of that, so he rolled onto his back.

Gold propped himself up on his elbow, smiled down at Silver and said, "Hey."

Silver rubbed the sleep from his eyes and answered, "Hi."

Their eyes met and as soon as Silver saw the expression on Gold's face, he knew what was about to happen. He found he was right when Gold leaned down and kissed him, softly, without a hint of the desperation from the night before. Despite that, it somehow felt even  _more_  intimate, which Silver didn't think was possible.

After Gold pulled away, he flipped onto his back, using Silver's bicep as a pillow. A silence fell between them, and now Silver had reached the very thing he'd been dreading: the awkwardness. He'd never been in a real relationship before, so he had no idea what he was supposed to do. Last night, he'd been running on pure instinct and desire, but now the fire had died down. While Gold's last relationship hadn't exactly been ideal, he'd at least  _had_  one, so Silver could only hope Gold was a bit more knowledgeable than him.

Silver cleared his throat awkwardly before asking, "So what happens now?"

Gold turned his head to look at Silver and said, "What do you mean?"

The awkwardness was only becoming worse with every passing second. Silver knew what he meant, but words had never been his strong suit. So he did the only thing he could do, he kept it simple and asked, "Is everything gonna be different now?"

He could tell from the look on his face that Gold was holding himself back from laughing. No doubt Silver's uneasiness had to seem ridiculous to Gold, especially after how confident he'd probably seemed the night before. He  _had_  been the one to initiate the kiss, after all.

But, just like he always did, Gold maintained his understanding and answered, "Not really. I just get to punch any guys who decide to flirt with you."

Silver had to chuckle at that. Even when Gold had slapped him those two times, it had been obvious he'd been holding back, so the thought of Gold going off and punching anyone was nothing short of hilarious. Gold then caught Silver off guard when the younger man rolled over and pulled Silver into another kiss. This time, Gold lingered for several more seconds and  _really_  tested Silver's ability to reign himself in when he took Silver's lower lip gently between his teeth right before breaking the kiss.  _For fuck's sake_ , it was as if Gold was  _trying_  to stir him up, and while he didn't exactly hate it, it was too soon to be thinking about such things. Their relationship had only  _just_  started.

Gold touched their foreheads together and, with an intentionally sultry tone, said, "And I get to do that whenever I want."

Well, that was it. After such a blatant attempt to provoke him, Silver wasn't about to let it go without some kind of reaction. But he wasn't gonna let Gold be in charge this time. Placing his hand firmly in the middle of Gold's chest, he shoved the younger man down onto his back. He heard Gold breathe out a gasp before he descended upon him. Gold's hands rested on either side of Silver's face, and Silver heard the younger man groan lightly when he similarly scraped  _his_  teeth over Gold's lower lip.

When their lips came apart, Silver smirked and said, "Let's not pretend this is a one-way street."

Silver had never seen Gold swoon before, but he was certain that was what Gold did because on top of bright red cheeks, Gold had a dazed look in his eyes. Silver couldn't help the pride that swelled in his chest from knowing he'd drawn such an adorable reaction out of Gold. Seeing that starry-eyed look on Gold's face, it was as if Silver had been given a gift he never knew he wanted but one that now he knew he was  _definitely_  going to want again.

He rolled off of Gold and sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He looked down when he felt his feet brush against something and he found the duffle bag lying on the floor with several stacks of the cash spilled out next to it. He vaguely remembered it falling off of Gold's lap when their kiss had started, but there had been something far more pressing on his mind at that moment. He bent over and started shoving the cash back inside of the duffle bag as Gold joined him at the edge of the bed.

Once the cash was safely back in the bag, Silver zipped it up and dropped it in Gold's lap before saying, "I imagine you'll be wanting to take that to the hospital."

Gold grinned and set the bag on the corner of the bed. "Does that mean you're not coming with me?"

As much as Silver wanted to go with Gold, he had to be at work within the next hour. So he said, "Sorry. Work."

He could tell Gold was just as disappointed as he was, but it couldn't be helped. Gold stood and gathered his clothes before putting them back on, much to Silver's dismay. Not having to hold himself back from gawking at all of that bare skin was one of the perks of them officially being a couple.

Once Gold was dressed he picked up the duffle bag and said, "It's a shame. Mom is  _definitely_  gonna want to thank you."

Thank him? For the money? His skin crawled at the thought. He didn't want to be thanked for that. He hadn't done it to earn thanks or Miranda's gratitude. He'd done it because he didn't want Gold to have to lose her, and because  _he_  didn't want to lose her. He didn't think he deserved to be thanked for doing it when his motivations weren't entirely altruistic.

His face must've been revealing his thoughts as Gold said, "You don't want me to tell her, do you?"

Silver shook his head. No. He had no desire for acknowledgement or thanks from Miranda. Knowing she had a greater chance of living was enough.

Gold sighed and slung the duffel bag onto his shoulder. "I won't say anything, but she's not stupid. I leave to go to your house and come back with enough money to pay for the treatment? She's gonna put two and two together."

He knew Gold was probably right, but he still didn't want Gold announcing any of this to Miranda. All he wanted was for her to get the treatment and get better. Taking a step closer, Gold reached a hand out and took Silver by the chin. He tilted Silver's head up and gave him a quick kiss. He smiled warmly and said, "I'll be back later."

Silver knew he would probably get used to it sooner or later, but right now, every single time Gold kissed him, his chest fluttered like he was a damned schoolgirl with a crush. This time was no exception.

As Gold straighted back up, Silver said, "All right. I'll see you later."

But something occurred to him as Gold started leaving the room. He had to go to work. What if Gold got back before him? He wouldn't be able to get in. Rushing over to the table next to the bed, he pulled open the drawer and said, "Hang on, Gold."

Gold turned back right as Silver drew a spare key out of the drawer. He held it out to Gold and said, "Here. Just in case you get back before me."

Gold didn't take the key right away, and instead asked, "You're... giving me the key to your house?"

Silver shrugged his shoulders, not thinking it was any big deal, and answered, "Yeah? Why not?"

Gold's hand shook as he reached for the key, and when Silver looked at Gold's expression, he found out why. Gold seemed to be very excited about this gesture, although Silver couldn't imagine why. They were in a relationship now, and Gold spent a lot of time at his house anyway, so giving him free access to the house just made sense.

Gold slid the key into the pocket of his jeans and said, "You've made a terrible mistake. Now you're never gonna be able to get rid of me."

When their eyes met again, Silver saw the same look he'd seen in Gold's eyes the night before: the pure, unyielding adoration that made Silver's whole body weak. Before he could stop himself, he stepped up to Gold and wrapped an arm around his waist. He pulled him in, kept their eyes locked, and said, "Get rid of you? I was planning to keep you."

Silver smirked and his chest burned with pride for the second time that morning when, once again, Gold swooned. He felt Gold's body go slightly limp in his arms and he could feel the increase in his heartbeat. Oh yeah. This was  _definitely_  something Silver knew he wasn't going to be able to get enough of. Watching Gold turn to butter with only a few words was nothing short of intoxicating.

Gold seemed to come to his senses and pushed away before saying, "Okay, I have to get going. The doctor isn't gonna pay himself."

Silver grinned and nodded as Gold left the room. Silver didn't move until he heard the front door open and close. Only then, did his feet seem to want to come unglued from the floor. Left alone with the quiet, the situation finally fully sunk in. He'd done it. Somehow, despite all of his doubts and all of his hesitation, he and Gold were together. Gold was finally  _his_. He hadn't been ready for the absolute bliss that was going to crash over him in those moments, and he had to put his hand on the wall next to the bed to steady himself.

Was this what it felt like?  _Real_  happiness?  _Real_  contentment? He couldn't be sure because he'd never experienced it before, but considering how utterly flustered he was, it seemed like the most logical explanation. He'd lived most of his life with a weight pushing him down, a weight he hadn't realized was there until now; because now... it was  _gone_.

* * *

Gold arrived at Dr. Nicholas' office expecting to have to answer twenty questions over where he had gotten so much money so quickly. Thankfully, the good doctor seemed perfectly willing to look the other way, and simply gave Gold the rundown of what was going to happen. After being given a manilla envelope filled with information about the treatment, Gold left Dr. Nicholas' office and headed off to Miranda's hospital room. When he arrived, he found her sitting up in the bed flipping through the channels on the TV.

She turned to him and grinned as she said, "Well,  _someone_  looks happy."

He smiled brighter. She had  _no_  idea. He set the envelope to the side, bolted toward her, and hugged her tightly. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes before he was able to stop them, and he said, "I am."

He pulled away, kissed her gently on her forehead and went on, "You're getting the treatment, Mom."

Miranda's eyes widened slightly and she said, "What are you talking about? Dr. Nicholas said the insurance company won't cover it."

Hoping he might be able to keep her distracted with jokes, he said, "Mom, please. You really thought the future Champion of the Pokemon League was gonna let that stop him?"

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Nice try, young man. Where did you get the money to pay for this?"

 _Shit_. Well, it had been worth a try. She'd always been able to tell when he was lying, so he knew there was no point in trying. Not telling her anything, though, that was different. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and answered, "It doesn't matter. What matters is you're getting the treatment."

She sighed and switched off the TV before letting her eyes fall to the bed. She remained silent for several seconds, and in those seconds, Gold could see the cogs in her head turning. She was doing exactly what he told Silver she would do, she was putting two and two together. Once she was finished, she looked at Gold and said, "Silver..."

He kept his mouth shut, knowing that he wouldn't be able to verbally deny it, but she took his silence for what it was, an admission that she was right. She crossed her arms again, this time much more uncomfortably, and asked, "Where did he get it?"

Gold knew then that he'd reached the end of his ability to keep it quiet and said, "Mom, don't. He doesn't even want you to know it was him. Can you please just let it go."

"No," she responded bluntly. "Because neither of you would be trying so hard to keep this from me if there wasn't a reason."

"Mom..."

"Tell me the truth, Gold," Miranda interrupted. "Did Silver put himself in danger to get the money?"

Gold covered his eyes with his hand and released a heavy sigh. This was why he hadn't wanted to try to keep any of this hidden from her in the first place. She was too smart for her own damn good and stubborn, sometimes to a fault. Still, he'd told Silver he wouldn't tell her anything, so he kept his lips sealed yet again, which only served to answer her question.

He saw Miranda's eyes start to mist over when she asked, "Is he okay?"

Crying? No. He absolutely was not going to let her cry, not now, not when things were looking up, and not with the great news he had yet to give her. He climbed into the bed beside her, which was very easy due to how little space she took up, and wrapped his arms around her.

Her head rested on his shoulder and he took hold of one of her hands as he said, "Silver is fine, Mom. He's... he's better than fine."

He knew she would get his meaning, and when she turned her head up to look at him, he saw her eyes dry almost instantly. Her hand gripped his tighter, and she beamed when she said, "You did it?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead again. "It's official."

He was certain if she'd been physically capable, she'd have launched herself from the hospital bed and did a jig in the middle of the room. Instead, she threw both arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she was able to, all the while laughing a cheering.

Once she'd reasonably calmed down, she said, "It's about time."

Now that she was feeling better, Gold slid out of the bed and went for the envelope Dr. Nicholas had given him. He handed it to her and said, "Everything we need to know about the treatment is in here. He said he can start the first wave on Monday."

Miranda took the envelope and opened it. She pulled out the giant stack of paper and said, "Well good. I'm being discharged today, so that gives me three days."

"Three days?"

She grinned. "Three days before I'm stuck back in this hospital again. Plenty of time to throw a quick barbecue together to celebrate."

Gold's cheeks burned as he guessed that she probably wasn't talking about celebrating the fact that she was getting the treatment. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Mom, you can't have a barbecue over me and Silver. He would hate that."

She shrugged and started flipping through the papers. "Then I'll just say it's to celebrate me getting the treatment. He doesn't have to know."

"Mom..." Gold groaned.

She raised a hand to silence him. "Hush. You're gonna let me have this."

He knew arguing further was pointless, so he shook his head and sat back down next to the bed, happy to be able to spend time with his mother without dread looming over his head. Just one more thing he had Silver to thank for.

* * *

Silver stood behind the counter toward the end of his shift, checking the clock every few moments. Over the past few months, he'd noticed himself becoming increasingly more excited to leave work after his shifts. He knew it was because he'd been looking forward to spending time with Gold, but now that excitement had quadrupled. After holding himself back for so long, finally knowing that Gold was  _his_  was akin to jumping into a cool lake after spending an entire day working in the heat. His heart raced and his chest ached with the desire to rush home immediately to see if Gold was there waiting for him. He knew it was foolish. In fact, he felt ridiculous, like he was some doe-eyed girl pining over a boyfriend. But happiness far outweighed the foolishness, and when he heard the bell from the front door jingle, he turned quickly to see Vanessa walking in.

Never had he been so glad to see her. He waited impatiently for her to put down her things and settle in, and when she was finally done, he punched out. He took his pokegear from under the counter, threw a quick "bye" over his shoulder, and bolted for the door. She stopped him, however, by shouting, "What's the hurry?"

 _Dammit_. He'd been hoping to avoid this. He turned back to her and said, "Sorry, Vanessa."

She smirked and leaned on the counter like she always did. "This is the first time I've seen you  _this_  excited about leaving. So...? Spill. What happened?"

He knew what she wanted, but he was still determined  _not_  to give it to her. If she found out him and Gold were an official couple, there would be no living with her. Crossing his arms awkwardly, he said, "I believe I already said I wouldn't be telling you anything."

"Yeah," she said, "And I told you I'd bug you till you did. So why don't you save us both the trouble and answer me. Did you finally ask him out? Are you two dating?"

Silver groaned aloud and rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to tell her anything, but he knew she wasn't joking when she said she would never let it go. She was probably about as stubborn as Miranda. So, hoping she might be satisfied, he muttered, "Yes."

He flinched as soon as the word let his mouth and waited for the inevitable wave of cheering that he was certain was about to erupt from Vanessa. But he heard nothing. He looked at Vanessa and was blown away to see her simply smiling. She stood up straight and walked around the counter toward him.

She stopped right in front of him and said, "Good. I'm happy for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're being... surprisingly calm about this."

She glanced at the floor, and, for the first time since he'd met Vanessa, she looked like she was actually thinking about what she was gonna say. She started fidgeting with her hands and said, "I know I can be a pain but... Silver, we've been working together for a year now, and you used to look so  _sad_  all the time. It was like you were here but not here at the same time. I never saw you smile, not once, until you started hanging out with that guy."

It was Silver's turn to be speechless. He'd always known Vanessa was a little bit nosey, but he'd never realized she was observant enough to notice something like him not smiling. Nor did he realize she even cared. As far as he could tell, she'd never treated him any differently than she had any of their other co-workers.

Her fingers linked together and she cleared her throat before saying, "So I thought, maybe if I bugged you enough that you might actually go for it. Then, I don't know, maybe you could actually smile more?"

Silver's eyes grew slowly wider at each of Vanessa's words until he was certain his eyes would dry out. All this time, she'd been trying to help him? He'd simply been assuming she was a nosey gossip who just enjoyed poking her nose into peoples' business, but he'd evidently been sorely mistaken. But why would she feel the need to help him like that? He'd never done anything for her. In fact, he'd always been slightly cool toward her due to her bubbly personality clashing so heavily with his more stoic one.

"Vanessa..." he started to say.

"Nope!" she interrupted. "Don't say anything! I already have to go wash my mouth out after being so damn mushy! Just... go home to that hot guy and I'll see you later."

She started to head back to the counter when he suddenly blurted out, "Gold."

She stopped and turned. "What?"

He hadn't planned on telling Vanessa Gold's name. It had been more of a reflex from her calling him "guy" every time she and Silver spoke. But now that he'd said it, he couldn't very well take it back, so he said, "His name is Gold."

Vanessa smiled back at him, and he saw her cheeks go slightly red when she said, "Bye, Silver."

He nodded a farewell and left the mart, more than ready to get home. When he reached his front door, he was disappointed to find it still locked, indicating Gold hadn't come back yet. He quickly brushed off the dismay, though, because Gold  _had_  said he would be back later. Deciding he could kill time by watching some television, Silver changed out of his work clothes and settled in on the couch. He cycled through the channels until he saw one of his favorite films was just about to start: The Planet of the Apes. That would keep him sufficiently distracted, so he hit play and sat back, content with knowing Gold would arrive soon.

* * *

By the time Miranda was discharged from the hospital and Gold had taken her home, it was already well into the afternoon. He hadn't planned on staying out this long, and he was more than ready to get back to Silver's house. After saying a quick goodbye to his mom, Gold and Altaria returned to Olivine. Gold found Silver's lights on and saw the flicker from the TV, so he knew Silver was there. He turned the doorknob and was about to announce that he was there when he noticed Silver lying on the couch, hand under his head, fast asleep. He closed the door quietly and approached the sleeping redhead. This was the first time since that time in the hot tub that he'd caught Silver asleep. The emotional scars Silver had from his difficult life were always present in his features, even though he'd obviously tried to move on. But Gold saw none of that. He looked... peaceful. Content.

Gold's fingers twitched with the desire to touch him, so he reached out and ran his pointer finger over Silver's warm cheek. The contact apparently stirred Silver as his eyes opened and fell on Gold. Gold couldn't help but grin. Silver, lying there with sleep in his eyes was nothing short of adorable. Silver started to sit up as he said, "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep."

Gold squeezed in next to him on the couch and, right as Silver tried to sit up all the way, Gold placed a hand against the redhead's chest and pulled him back down so that his head was resting on Gold's thigh. Silver looked surprised at first, but relaxed after a few seconds.

Gold ran one of his hands through the long, red mane and said, "It's okay. You had a long night."

Silver half-smiled and let one of his arms drape over his stomach when he asked, "So, how'd it go?"

The soothing feeling of Silver's hair sliding between his fingers was just too addictive, so Gold kept his hand where it was when he said, "The doctor said she can start the treatment on Monday."

To Gold's surprise, Silver turned on his side so that he was facing him. Not that he was complaining. That only made it easier for him to keep running his fingers through that hair he'd been dying to touch.

"Good," Silver said.

Gold leaned his head back and said, "Yeah, but I was right. I didn't tell her anything, and she still figured it out."

He could see the mild annoyance on Silver's face, but he wasn't about to apologize. He'd told Silver she would figure it out, but he'd insisted on trying to keep it from her anyway. Maybe this would teach him that trying to keep secrets from Miranda was utterly pointless.

But, he still had one more piece of slightly annoying news to tell him, so he swallowed heavily and went on, "And, as you can imagine, she wants to have a barbecue before she goes back to the hospital."

He heard Silver chuckle lightly before he said, "Of course she does."

Gold sighed, knowing that he was getting to yet another part that might annoy him. "Yeah, and she's gonna tell you it's to celebrate her getting the treatment, but it's not... I told her about us. She was feeling bad over the whole money thing, so I had to tell her something to cheer her up."

He wasn't sure if Silver had been ready for Miranda to know. It was obvious by his nervousness that morning that relationships were still kind of weird for Silver. The last thing Gold wanted was to make him more uncomfortable.

Silver, though, looked up at Gold with obvious confusion in his eyes and said, "You sound like you're trying to  _justify_  telling Miranda. Why?"

Gold shrugged his shoulders. "I've known you for a while and you don't strike me as the kind of person who likes to have their personal life announced to everyone."

Silver laughed softly at that and shook his head. Raising one of his hands, he balled it into a fist and playfully punched Gold in his chest before saying, "I swear, I've never met anyone in my life who worries like you do."

He took the hand he'd used to punch Gold and entangled it in one of Golds hands. "Telling Miranda is hardly "announcing it to everyone." Besides, I told Vanessa."

Vanessa? Silver had only mentioned her a few times. She was a co-worker, evidently a chatty one. But Silver had never given him any indication that they were friends, or even close acquaintances, so why would he tell her?

"You told Vanessa?"

Silver squeezed Gold's hand a little tighter and said, "Look, I'm not gonna sing it from the rooftops or anything, but... I  _wanted_  this, Gold. I've wanted it for a while. So, I don't care who knows, and I don't give a shit what anyone has to say about it either."

 _I wanted this_. Those three words kept ringing through Gold's ears for several seconds after Silver said them. For the third time that day, Gold's muscles lost their strength, his cheeks flushed red, and his chest exploded in fireworks. He'd never, in his whole life, pictured Silver as the kind of person who would be able to do this to him: to make him melt by barely doing anything at all.

The hand he'd been using to run through Silver's hair moved down to his neck, and he said, "I swear. It's like you're doing it on purpose."

Silver's eyes met his, and Gold saw the sly expression behind them when he said, "Maybe I am."

Gold's eyes zeroed in on Silver's lips, and the redhead seemed to know what was about to happen as Gold barely had to exert any effort when he pulled him up. Silver's arms wrapped around Gold's neck, and when their lips were only an inch apart, Gold mumbled, "Maybe?"

Silver moved the last inch forward on his own, and Gold exhaled a satisfied sigh through his nose when their lips collided. One of Gold's arms grasped Silver tightly around his waist while his other hand slid up and pressed against the back of Silver's head. Just like it had the night before, Gold's vision turned to stars and his brain turned to mush. The only words his brain could focus on were the three words that had sent him barreling into this kiss in the first place:  _I wanted this_. In his mind, he already knew Silver wanted him. He wouldn't have bothered kissing him in the first place if he didn't, but Gold wasn't prepared for how alluring it was going to be to actually hear the words spoken. And he was equally unprepared when Silver opened his mouth wider and just barely brushed his tongue against Gold's lower lip.

Gold's entire body tensed up, and, in his dulled state of mind, he responded immediately, parting his own lips and letting Silver in. Gold thought his brain might shut down when he felt Silver's breaths drift into his mouth, and his body shuttered at Silver's tongue sliding over top of his. Gold had been kissed before, many times, but never had he experienced the level of intimacy he was feeling in that moment. Inhaling Silver's breaths, tasting him, and feeling parts of him that very few others had was so overwhelming that Gold was startled to attention when his jeans suddenly became tighter. And with Silver's continued assault of his mouth, the tightness only became worse. As good as it felt, and as much as Gold didn't want to stop, he forced himself to put a hand on Silver's chest and gently push him back.

Silver's lips shimmered with their mutual saliva, and his eyes were alive with a mixture of contentment and confusion, the latter probably due to Gold pushing him away. Silver's fingers linked together behind Gold's neck and he asked, "What is it?"

Gold's eyes averted and his hands dropped down to Silver's waist. He wasn't sure how to explain because he didn't want to say he'd been turned on by their kiss. He was still painfully aware that Silver had never been with a man, and he didn't want to risk freaking him out by admitting he'd become sexually aroused. So, hoping Silver might not become suspicious, Gold simply said, "I just... need to stop."

It was wishful thinking, of course. As soon as those words left Gold's mouth, Silver's eyes dipped down, and the blush on Gold's cheeks intensified when Silver noticed the bulge in his jeans. Silver sighed with obvious annoyance and took hold of one of Gold's wrists. His breath caught in his throat when Silver pulled that wrist down and pushed Gold's hand against an equally large bulge in his own jeans. Gold swallowed heavily as his jeans tightened even more, and he instinctively yanked his hand back.

His eyes met Silver's and the redhead returned to resting his head on Gold's thigh when he said, "I'm not some virgin 16-year-old you just brought home from prom, Gold."

He heard Silver's words, and he understood what he'd been trying to do, but Gold's head was still spinning with what had just occurred. First, he heard Silver verbally confirm that he wanted him. Now, he had undeniable proof that Silver was also turned on by him. In his mind, he'd known that Silver was well-versed in sexual experiences. He'd mentioned being with multiple women in the past, but they were women. As such, Gold hadn't expected Silver to be so easily aroused by a man. Not that he was complaining.

Still, he had to explain to Silver why he'd pushed him away, so he said, "I know. It's just... I rushed into this part before, and it didn't exactly work out."

Gold's chest stung when Silver's eyes averted and he turned his head. Gold hadn't thought anything he'd said had been particularly offensive, but he could tell Silver was hurt. He was about to ask him why when Silver said, "I'm not him."

It sounded less like an outright denial and more like a plea, like Silver was begging him  _not_  to see him in the same light as Anthony. Gold wanted to kick himself in that moment. Stupid. How could he have been so stupid as to bring up Anthony, especially knowing how apprehensive Silver had been about starting this relationship in the first place?

He knew he needed to encourage Silver quickly, so he took Silver by the chin and turned his head back when he said, "I know that. I'm sorry, Silver. I didn't mean to... I just don't want to rush things, okay?"

The hurt drained from Silver's face, and he took one of Gold's hands. The touch eased some of the tension that had built up in Gold's body over the past several seconds, which was a welcome relief. Silver half-smiled and said, "All right. Whatever you want."

Gold shook his head. "It has to be what we  _both_  want."

Silver gave Gold's hand a light squeeze, and Gold saw a bit of red appear on his cheeks when he said, "Gold,  _this_  is already more than I thought I was ever gonna have in my entire life. I'm not gonna get hung up on the details."

Like always, seeing Silver blush from embarrassment was adorable. Gold knew perfectly well that Silver didn't like talking about his feelings, so Gold cherished these rare instances when he did talk about it. Not only was it great to be able to know what Silver was thinking, but it made Gold want to swoon all over again when he thought about how Silver only opened up like this for  _him_.

Running a hand through Silver's hair again, Gold said, "You  _are_  doing it on purpose."

Silver smiled up at him, and Gold was about to pull the redhead up for another kiss when a knock at the front door grabbed their attention. They looked at each other for a second, both confused at this turn of events. Gold couldn't remember anyone ever stopping by Silver's house in the past, so this was strange. Silver stood and headed for the window next to the door, peeking out to see who it was. As soon as he saw, he immediately opened the door and Gold was shocked to see Giovanni walk into the house.

"Dad?" Silver said.

Giovanni took the hat off of his head and said, "I just came by to check up on-"

Giovanni stopped when his eyes met Gold's, and Gold felt something he didn't feel very often: awkwardness. He would never claim to be an expert at dealing with people, but he'd always fancied himself as a people person. He could strike up a conversation with almost anyone without trouble, but now, facing down Silver's dad, he had no idea what to say.

Giovanni looked at Silver and said, "Sorry, Son. I didn't realize I was intruding."

Silver shook his head and said, "You're not."

He then motioned for Giovanni to follow him and Silver led Giovanni in Gold's direction. When Giovanni was standing only a few feet away, Gold wiped his now sweaty hands on his jeans and held one of them out to the older man.

Hoping his voice wouldn't shake, Gold said, "Hi. We didn't get to actually meet last time."

Giovanni took Gold's hand, and Gold swallowed heavily when he felt how strong Giovanni's grip was. The old man grinned softly and said, "Indeed. It's good to meet you, Gold."

With that awkward introduction out of the way, Gold was relieved when the three of them sat down, Gold and Silver on the couch and Giovanni on the recliner. Silver leaned forward and asked, "What's going on, Dad?"

Giovanni drew his pokegear from his pocket, showed it to Silver, and said, "I set it up so that when the vault's door was opened I would receive a message. Was it you that opened it?"

"Yeah," Silver answered.

Placing the pokegear back in his pocket, Giovanni went on, "My contacts in Viridian City mentioned a disturbance being reported near the gym. I'm assuming Team Rocket. Were you hurt?"

Before Silver even said anything, Gold knew what was about to happen. Silver was going to lie to his father again and say nothing happened. Unlike last time, however, Gold was in on the conversation. So when Silver started to deny that he was injured, Gold interrupted, "They hit him over the head and tazed him."

Silver turned to him, eyes flaring when he said, "Gold!"

Gold's eyebrows ran together and be bit back, "No. You don't get to lie to cover your ass. I'd have gone with you if you'd have just told me what you were doing, but you didn't. You ran off by yourself and you got hurt."

All of the annoyance lifted from Silver's face, and the redhead turned his head, seemingly unable to come up with a rebuttal. And after their conversation last night, Gold wasn't surprised. He'd made it more than clear to Silver that he didn't approve of him being so reckless.

Seemingly trying to smooth things over, Silver said, "I'm fine, Dad. It was no big deal."

No big deal? Gold's left eye twitched, and he had to hold himself back from scolding Silver again. As much as he wanted to tell Silver to stop making light of it, he'd already scolded him in front of his father once. It seemed cruel to do it again.

Giovanni did not press the matter further, however, and simply asked, "What did you take?"

"Some of the cash," Silver answered.

The old man's eyebrows raised slightly and he crossed his arms when he said, "You ran off by yourself and risked being attacked by Team Rocket for the sake of getting cash? You've never cared about money, Silver. Why would you risk your life for it?"

Silver didn't answer right away and instead turned to look at Gold. Gold looked back and saw a questioning look in Silver's eyes. Gold's chest grew warmer as he realized Silver was asking permission to answer. Silver knew that, in order to answer the question, he would have to tell Giovanni about Miranda's cancer. Grateful for his consideration, Gold smiled before nodding, giving Silver the "go ahead."

Silver said, "Gold's mom has cancer. We needed the money to pay for her treatment."

Giovanni's expression shifted from confused to what Gold knew was pride. He'd seen that look before on his own father's face, so it was easy to see. Though he obviously disapproved of Silver being reckless, he was also proud of him for doing something so selfless. And as Gold turned to look at Silver, he had to admit that he was too.

"In that case," Giovanni said. "If such healthcare expenses ever crop up in the future, tell me and I'll wire you the funds. There's no reason for you to risk going to the vault."

Gold's eyes widened and his first instinct was to say, "Wait, what!?"

Did Giovanni just say that he would pay for all of Miranda's future medical expenses? Why would he do that? They'd only just met. He didn't even  _know_  Miranda. Gold was about to object when Giovanni raised his hand to silence him.

The old man smiled warmly and said, "No arguments. It's a small price to pay to ensure neither of you has to risk going back to that vault until I can root out the thugs who are after it. It's a slow process considering my circumstances, but I  _am_  making progress."

He understood where Giovanni was coming from, but it still didn't feel right. There was no telling when something else might happen with Miranda. The seizure proved that. What if Giovanni wound up footing several, high-cost hospital bills for a woman he'd never even met? It just... seemed wrong, but the old man had made it clear that he would not listen to any arguments, so Gold remained silent, no matter how uncomfortable it made him.

Giovanni then stood and said, "Well, I'll leave you two alone, now. I just wanted to check in. Call me if you need anything, Son."

Silver nodded, and Giovanni started toward the door, but Gold's mind was still swimming. It wasn't right. It would never  _be_  right to take money from Giovanni to pay for Miranda's expenses when he'd never spoken a single word to her. He couldn't let it happen this way, he _wouldn't_.

Before Giovanni made it to the door, Gold stood up and said, "Hang on!"

Giovanni stopped and turned around, a quizzical look on his face. Gold's fists clenched and his shoulders tensed when he said, "If you're determined to do this, then you should at least meet my mom. She's having a barbecue at our house within the next couple of days. You should come."

He could tell immediately by Giovanni's expression that the old man was open to the idea. However, he looked past Gold and to Silver, presumably asking if Silver would be okay with that. Gold turned in time to see Silver nod his approval.

Putting his hat back on his head, Giovanni said, "Very well. Have Silver message me the time and the day and I will try to be there. I can't make any promises, of course."

Of course he couldn't. Being on the run from both the law and Team Rocket probably made traveling very difficult. Gold would have to remember to tell his mother that Giovanni might be coming and that she needed to conveniently forget to invite Sheriff Jim. After saying his goodbyes, Giovanni left, and the room went silent apart from the sound of the clock ticking on the wall.

Silver was the first to speak and said, "Thanks for doing that. You didn't have to."

Gold took his seat back on the couch and answered, "The man just offered to pay for my mother's medical expenses. That was the absolute  _least_  I could do."

It still didn't make any sense to Gold for Giovanni to make such an offer to a person who, as far as he knew, was only Silver's friend. Wait, that's right. Giovanni didn't know about him and Silver. The redhead hadn't told him. Why? Was Silver afraid that his father would disapprove of Silver being with a man? Gold knew next to nothing about Giovanni, so he wasn't sure what the old man's views were. Was he against same-sex relationships?

The thought made Gold's skin crawl, so he had to ask, "Why didn't you tell him, you know, about us?"

Silver's cheeks went red and he raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. "I, um, don't really need to. He already knows."

Gold quirked and eyebrow. "How? It literally  _just_  happened?"

Silver's face became redder and redder with every passing second, and Gold couldn't imagine what was making him so uncomfortable. Silver leaned against the back of the couch and wound his fingers together before saying, "When he was here the other day, he asked about you. And I never exactly  _denied_  that we were together, even though we weren't yet."

Now it was Gold's turn to blush. Not only had Giovanni inquired about him, but Silver had given the old man the impression that they were a couple even before it became official? As happy as that news made Gold, he couldn't help but wonder why Silver would do that.

Hoping Silver might shed some light on the situation, Gold said, "You... didn't deny it?"

To Gold's utter confusion, Silver chuckled lightly and shook his head before leaning it back to stare at the ceiling. The color in his cheeks lightened a bit, and he said, "You got inside my head. I don't know how you did it or when it happened, but it fucked with my instincts. I first noticed it when that neanderthal showed up at the barbecue."

Gold had to hold himself back from laughing at Silver's use of the word "neanderthal." It matched Anthony so perfectly, but Gold could sense Silver was trying to be serious, so he maintained his calm and listened.

"I don't know how else to say it," Silver went on. "It was like... I reacted like you were  _mine_ , even though you weren't, and I guess that carried over to when my dad asked about you."

Gold had always known that Silver spoke his mind. It was one of the first things he ever learned about him, and it had been the source of a lot of pain for Gold in the past. But now, it was serving to test how many times Gold could swoon in a single day. Because of Anthony, Gold knew the difference between a person who was possessive because they wanted to own you and a person who was possessive because they cared for you. Silver was the latter sort of person, and it was terribly exciting to think of Silver one day going "alpha" on Anthony, or any other man who tried to hit on him.

Leaning closer to Silver, Gold breathed in his ear, "Don't be stupid. I've been yours for a while."

He saw the shiver run through Silver's body as the redhead turned to look at him. The sultry expression on his face made Gold's heart thump a little faster. Throwing on one of his typical smirks, Silver said, "Is that right?"

Gold leaned in closer and whispered, "Yeah" before closing the gap with another kiss. Silver's arms wrapped around him and he gasped when Silver suddenly pulled him closer. As Silver allowed him to push him down onto his back, Gold reveled in the absolute bliss that had overtaken him. This day, it had started out perfectly, and it now seemed it was going to end perfectly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a day.

But he knew one thing: he could definitely get used to it.


	15. The Long-Awaited Resolution

The day of the barbecue arrived and Gold woke to the sound of his alarm clock blaring at seven in the morning. He reached out to silence it and sat up, throwing his feet over the side of the bed. Shifting in the bed next to him caught his attention, and he saw Silver's head poke out from under the blankets. When he'd asked Silver to spend the night with him at  _his_  house, he'd expected the redhead to be apprehensive about the whole idea, but Silver didn't even hesitate to agree. Gold's bed was slightly smaller than Silver's, so they didn't have as much space while sleeping, but neither of them minded. They were still at the beginning stage of their relationship where everything was new and they wanted to be touching each other pretty much constantly, anyway. Having a smaller bed just made that easier.

Gold climbed out of the bed and started putting his clothes on while Silver sat on the edge of the bed, still trying to wake up. By the time Gold finished dressing, Silver had just managed to get to his feet and gather his own clothes.

As the redhead was sliding on his jeans, Gold went to the door and said, "I'll meet you downstairs. Mom is probably gonna need my help cooking."

Silver yawned as he nodded, and Gold rushed downstairs, giggling to himself at the state of Silver. He already knew that Silver wasn't much of a morning person, but seeing him struggle to wake up was still very entertaining. When he got to the kitchen, he found Miranda already rummaging through the referigerator looking for what she needed to cook.

He walked up behind her and said, "Morning, Mom."'

She turned to look at him, smiled, and answered, "Morning, dear."

She had pulled out the mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs, so he knew she was about to start on her potato salad. Like he always did, he took the potatoes out of the cabinet near the sink and started preparing them for her.

While he was rinsing the potatoes off, Miranda playfully elbowed him in the side and said, "Did you two have fun last night?"

Gold choked on a gasp, and immediately said, "What?"

She laughed softly. "If you were trying to be quiet, you failed terribly I'm afraid."

Gold was sure his face turned five shades of red as he remembered what she was talking about.

* * *

_It was well after 11:00 p.m. by the time Gold and Silver turned in for the night. They both knew that they had early an early day the next day, so they stripped down to their boxers and slid under the covers. While Gold's bed was smaller, Silver seemed to have no trouble getting comfortable and snuggled into his half of the bed quickly. The blanket was only pulled up past Silver's hip bones, so it left the rest of his bare torso completely exposed. It was dark in the room, so Gold didn't think Silver would notice when he allowed himself to gawk. Every raised muscle and bit of smooth skin made Gold just as excited as it always had, and he had to hold himself back from reaching a hand out to touch it._

_Evidently, however, it wasn't dark enough in the room as Silver's eyes became locked on Gold, and he asked, "You gonna start drooling?"_

_Gold pried his eyes away instantly and was about to apologize when Silver suddenly rolled over top of him. Gold's eyes widened and he said, "Silver?"_

_Silver smirked and said, "What? Were you expecting to be able to look at me like that and_ not _get a reaction?"_

_Before Gold could answer, the redhead leaned in. He pressed his lips to Gold's, and Gold responded by wrapping his arms around to grasp Silver by his shoulders. Unlike the last time they'd done this, Silver didn't bother keeping their bodies apart and instead let his weight down onto Gold. Gold could hear his heart thumping in his ears as he felt himself being engulfed by Silver's body heat. The house was totally silent apart from the air conditioner that would occasionally kick on, so the sounds of their continued kissing echoed through the room and only served to excite Gold more._

_He became daring enough to press his hands into Silver's back and run them up and down, which caused Silver to release a muffled moan and raised his chest off of Gold's. He didn't break the kiss, however, seemingly desperate to keep it going. But now there was space, space for Gold to touch that skin on Silver's chest. Figuring he'd best do it now before he came to his senses, his shaky hands moved from Silver's back and around to the sides of his neck. While Silver continued his assault of his lips, Gold started to slowly move his hands down, his fingertips tingling at the sensation of those muscles that had so bewitched him. His palms started to brush against Silver's abs, and he lost his breath for a few seconds when another quiet moan rumbled in Silver's throat._

_He wasn't sure if Silver did it on purpose or if it had simply been an instinctual reaction to being touched, but his hips grinded forward. Gold's body tensed when the bulges inside both of their boxers roughly pressed together, and he couldn't stop himself from breaking the kiss and releasing a downright shameful sound that shattered the silence of the room and shook him back to his senses._

_His hand flew over his mouth and he turned his head, utterly humiliated by what he'd just done. What kind of sound was that? He couldn't remember_ ever  _making that kind of sound with Anthony._

_Silver didn't seem bothered by it, however, as he pulled Gold's hand away from his mouth and said, "Don't be embarassed."_

_Gold looked at Silver and saw no hint of judgment behind the redhead's eyes. In fact, he saw the opposite. Silver was pleased, and Gold had to admit that he understood why. Hearing Silver release those two quiet moans sent shivers through his body, so he couldn't imagine how happy it would make him to hear Silver moan like he just had._

_Still, things had gotten a bit too heated, so Gold said, "Sorry, but can we stop for now?"_

_Silver half-smiled and leaned down to kiss Gold on his forehead before saying, "I was planning to. I didn't mean to get so carried away. I'm sorry."_

_Silver rolled off of Gold and lay on his back before shifting slightly to try to get comfortable again. Gold turned onto his side, propped himself up on his elbow and said, "You don't have to apologize. It's not like you forced me."_

_Silver sighed. "I know, but you said you didn't want to rush things. I just have to get better at holding myself back. It's... hard to do that with you."_

_There were times when it was obvious that Silver was saying things to intentionally make Gold swoon, and there were other times when he was completely oblivious to the effect his words were having on Gold. This was one of the latter moments. Feeling desired,_ truly _desired, wasn't something Gold was used to, but he certainly didn't hate it._

 _Hoping to encourage Silver a bit, Gold said, "Well, you don't exactly make it easy for_ me _to hold back when you say things like that."_

_The worry drained from Silver's face, and he smiled before taking Gold by the back of his neck and pulling him down so that his head was resting on Silver's chest. Gold responded by draping an arm over Silver's abdomen and squeezing him tightly. The hand Silver had used to pull Gold down slid up Gold's back and Gold skin tingled when Silver's fingertips started stroking his scalp._

_After placing another gentle kiss on Gold's forehead, Silver said, "I'm not exactly sorry."_

_Gold turned his head to lay a kiss onto Silver's chest. "Me neither."_

* * *

Of course Gold hadn't forgotten what happened, but whether or not his mother could hear him hadn't exactly been the most pressing thing on his mind while Silver was kissing him. Trying to turn his attention to the potatoes in front of him, he said, "Sorry, Mom."

She giggled and started filling up a pot with water. "I was only teasing you, dear. I don't mind. That's what earplugs are for."

He knew he should have expected his mother to tease him, but it didn't make the embarrassment any better. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to hear him making... whatever noise that was he'd made the night before. He picked up a potato and started peeling it, hopeful that this awkward moment would pass and he could try to forget this conversation had happened.

The kitchen door opened, and Gold glanced over his shoulder to see Silver walking into the room. Miranda smiled at him and said, "Good morning, dear. There's some coffee made if you want some."

Gold hadn't even thought to get some coffee, but now that he knew about it, he wanted some too. So he rinsed his hand off and approached the coffee maker with Silver. He stood by and waited while Silver poured his glass and when he was finished, Gold took the pot from him. Silver's eyebrows narrowed and he asked, "Why's your face all red?"

Gold poured his own cup and started rummaging through the cabinets for his creamer. "You don't wanna know."

He then shot Miranda an annoyed look, to which she smirked and turned back to what she'd been doing.

The rest of the morning passed quickly, with Miranda and Gold preparing the food and Silver helping out any way he could. By the time the tables and chairs were set up outside and the grill was fired up, Gold had forgotten his embarrassment completely. The first guests to arrive were, of course, Professor Elm and his wife. Luckily, Sheriff Jim was on duty that day, so they didn't have to worry about him showing up, just in case Giovanni was able to make it.

To Gold's surprise, however, a person he didn't recognized appeared at the barbecue. She wore a pink tank-top and blue jeans, and she was carrying a pan with what looked like cherry cobbler in it. She approached Silver first, which was doubly surprising. Had Silver actually invited someone? Gold wanted to greet her, but he was still cooking the food, so he had to stay by the grill.

Thankfully, Silver brought the woman over himself and said, "Gold, this is Vanessa."

Vanessa? Silver's co-worker? They'd never actually met so he'd had no clue what she looked like. As Gold scanned over her appearance, though, he was shocked Silver had never attempted to date her in the past. She was a knock-out.

She smiled brightly and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Dreamboat."

Dreamboat? He raised an eyebrow and looked at Silver, questioning her use of that word. Silver covered his eyes with his hand and said, "Vanessa, don't make me regret inviting you."

Vanessa laughed loudly and said, "Okay, okay. But, come on, he  _has_  to be a Dreamboat. I chased you for months and you never gave me a second glance."

Now that was weird. As far as Gold knew, Silver was simultaneously attracted to men and women. Why, then, would he never have given a woman who looked like her the time of day? Gold was gay, but  _even he_ could see Vanessa was a catch: large breasts, wide hips, and damn-near perfect skin.

Silver seemed to have already prepared a response, however, and said, "Maybe that's because you don't have an "off" switch."

Vanessa and Silver shared a laugh at her expense, and Gold couldn't help but smile. Not just because he found what Silver said amusing, but because it was nice to see Silver laughing and joking around with someone besides him. He'd hoped that he could one day convince Silver to come out of his shell and start being more social, but it appeared it was already happening.

"Silver, dear!" came Miranda's voice from across the yard. "Would you mind running inside and grabbing a few more chairs?"

Gold took a glance around the yard and saw that more people than last time had come out for the barbecue, so they would definitely be needing a few more chairs. Silver called back in the affirmative and headed inside the house, leaving Gold alone with Vanessa. He expected the woman to start immediately talking his ear off, but she kept her first question simple and asked, "How long have you known Silver?"

Gold flipped one of the burgers and answered, "About six years now."

She grinned and crossed her arms. "But you only just  _now_  started dating? Sounds like there's a story there."

A story? Well there certainly was, but considering he'd only just met this woman, he wasn't about to start spilling his guts. So he simply answered, "Not a very interesting one, I'm afraid."

She giggled lightly. "Relax, handsome. I know a touchy subject when I see one, and I'm not about to start prodding."

There was a short silence in which Silver emerged from the house and brought two more fold-out chairs to Miranda. Gold couldn't hear what was being said, but by Miranda's body language and Silver's red cheeks, Gold could guess what was happening. She was telling the nearby guests about his and Silver's relationship. The thought sent a shiver through Gold's body because he knew it had to be embarrassing for Silver. However, Silver surprised Gold by not showing even the slightest bit of annoyance and instead wrapping his arm around Miranda's shoulders. In response, she hugged him about his waist and placed a kiss on his cheek.

From beside him, Gold heard Vanessa say, "I'm just glad he's finally happy."

Gold turned his attention back to the grill. "Yeah. Me too."

After apparently being released from Miranda's hold, Silver returned to Gold's side and raised an eyebrow at Vanessa. The bubbly woman flashed him a grin, and Silver seemed compelled to ask, "Has she been talking your ear off?"

Gold was about to answer with a joke, but Vanessa had apparently prepared one of her own as she said, "Yep, been telling him all kind of embarassing stories about you. Like that time a female customer hit on you and you-"

"Vanessa!" Silver exclaimed.

Gold and Vanessa both burst out laughing, and, despite his apparent attempts to remain annoyed, Silver eventually started laughing along with them. Vanessa and Silver then fell into a conversation that Gold was only half listening to as he was trying to focus on  _not_ burning the food.

However, he was listening well enough that he heard it when Vanessa said, "Don't look now, but there's some old guy in a trench coat flying down on a Fearow."

Gold and Silver both turned when she said it, and Gold's lips curled into a smile when he saw Giovanni's Fearow land nearby. Before anyone could say anything else, Silver took off in Giovanni's direction, and Vanessa leaned against the side of the house when she said, "I'm guessing he knows him."

Gold nodded. "He's his dad."

Vanessa's eyes widened as she looked Giovanni over. "Yeah. I can see it."

Vanessa then headed in Silver's direction, apparently going to introduce herself to Giovanni. That left Gold to finish the meat, which he did in short order with the loss of the distraction. Once everything was set out and ready to be eaten, Miranda announced for everyone to dig in. Like he always did, Gold allowed the guests to go first and got in line behind Silver and Giovanni. Once everyone had their plates, Silver and Giovanni took a seat in two of the nearby fold-out chairs, and started talking.

Gold didn't want to disturb them, so he started to walk away when Giovanni said, "Hang on, Gold."

Gold turned back and saw the old man motioning for him to come over. Gold obeyed and pulled up a chair to sit down with the two of them. Placing his plate on the ground, Giovanni reached into his pocket and drew out a pokeball. Gold was about to ask him what was in it when the old man said, "I have something for you two. A gift. Although I suppose Silver might appreciate it a little bit more."

Giovanni then turned to Silver and said, "When you were a boy you asked me for one of these many times, and I told you no, every time. I didn't think you were responsible enough to handle taking care of such a creature."

Silver's eyes widened, and the plate in his hand shook before he lowered it to the ground. Whatever Giovanni was talking about, Silver clearly remembered as Gold had never seen the redhead look so excited. Giovanni pushed the button in the middle of the pokeball and the white light shot out. When it cleared, Gold had to do a double take at the sight of a Houndour, but not just  _any_  Houndour. Its fur wasn't the typical black that you'd see from most Houndour, and instead held a shade of dark blue. Gold knew how rare it was to come across Pokemon of a different coloration than most of their species. In his entire journey through Johto, he'd never once come across one, which was saying something since he'd encountered all three of the legendary dogs as well as the legendary sea beast Lugia. There was no telling how many resources Giovanni had to put into finding this blue-shaded Houndour.

Giovanni leaned over and said, "Houndour, remember the young man I told you about, the one who's going to take care of you from now on?"

The Pokemon howled and its stubby tail started to wag wildly. Giovanni motioned in Silver's direction, and the Houndour turned to Silver. It barked twice, spun in a circle, and leapt into Silver's lap. The weight of the Pokemon, combined with the force with which it jumped caused the chair Silver was sitting in to topple backwards. Silver's back slammed onto the ground behind him, and Gold stood up to ask if he was okay.

However, Silver either didn't seem to notice he'd fallen over or he didn't care because he was laughing at the Houndour enthusiastically licking his face. One of Silver's hands was stroking the Pokemon's back and the other was scratching at its ears. By the time Silver finally sat up, his face was covered in the Pokemon's saliva, and his eyes were alight with a child-like excitement that Gold had never seen from him before. Giovanni was certainly right about Silver appreciating this gift far more than Gold ever could have.

Giovanni reached into his pocket again and drew out a red ball, while also holding his hand out to Silver to help him stand. Once Silver was on his feet, Giovanni held the ball out to him and said, "It seems to love fetch."

Without hesitation, Silver took the ball from Giovanni and held it up to show the Houndour. The Pokemon barked again and kept its eye on the ball, waiting for Silver to throw it. Silver wasted no time and threw the ball in the opposite direction of the food table. The Houndour immediately took off after it, and Silver went after the Houndour, leaving Gold and Giovanni behind. Gold didn't mind, though. This was clearly something Silver had been wanting since he was a child, and it was wonderful to see him having so much fun.

Gold turned his attention back to Giovanni and said, "Thank you. I've never seen him smile like that."

The old man picked his plate of food back up and answered, "It's a small consolation, I'm sure, considering how much I neglected him."

There was genuine remorse in Giovanni's voice. Like Silver, Giovanni was acknowledging his past wrongs and giving Silver that Houndour was just another way of trying to make up for it. However, also like Silver, he didn't think what he was doing was enough. That was the same sort of thinking that drove Silver to run off to the vault that night, so he wasn't about to let Giovanni keep those thoughts up.

"Silver's giving you a chance to make up for it," Gold said bluntly. "Take it, and stop beating yourself up. That's not doing anyone any good."

Giovanni smiled lightly before taking a drink of his water. "Yes, I hear I have you to thank for Silver's change of mind, among other things."

Gold wasn't going to bring up the fact that he'd convinced Silver to give Giovanni another chance, but it seemed Silver had already made the fact known. Not that he was expecting thanks for it. Seeing Silver make up with his father was thanks enough.

Still, Gold was curious about something, so he asked, "Among other things?"

Giovanni kept his eyes trained on his plate when he said, "You've made my son very happy, Gold, far happier than I ever believed possible. There aren't sufficient words to describe how grateful I am for that."

The old man leaned back in the chair and went on, "My failures as a father destroyed his childhood and teenage years. It's comforting to know that his adult life won't be marred with the same misery."

Gold wasn't rendered speechless very often, but Giovanni's words left him in  _just_  that state. What kind of response could he give to something like this, something he'd never expected to hear from Giovanni. Of course Gold had hoped that Giovanni would approve of their relationship, but he never expected the old man to not only approve, but  _enthusiastically_  approve.

"That's why," Giovanni said, "I offered to pay any future medical bills for your mother. You are precious to Silver, and I don't want you taking any unnecessary risks for the sake of paying for medical treatment."

It wasn't until after Giovanni finished his final statement that Gold noticed out of the corner of his eye: his mother. She'd been standing nearby, and as soon as she heard what Giovanni said, she took a few steps closer and said, "What did you just say?"

Gold's eyes met Giovanni's, and the discomfort on the old man's face was apparent. There was nothing Gold could say, however. Now that Miranda had heard what Giovanni had said, she was going to want her say.

In fact, she wasted no time in saying, "Gold, dear, give us a minute."

He gave Giovanni and apologetic glance as he took his plate and headed off in the direction of Silver and Houndour. He glanced over his shoulder to see his mother standing in a pose that he recognized well. She was scolding Giovanni for what he'd said, and Gold was certain she was going to attempt to talk him out of paying the bills by refusing to "take charity." She may have been small, but she was proud, sometimes to a fault.

When he finally reached Silver, the redhead was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, his left hand busy giving the panting, happy Houndour a belly rub. Leaving his plate abandoned, Gold sat down next to Silver and reached a hand out to the Houndour. The Pokemon sniffed Gold's hand, barked, and licked it twice.

Gold smiled and said, "Good boy."

The Houndour barked again and turned its attention back to Silver, who continued to pet it happily. Gold looked at Silver's face and saw that the child-like enthusiasm hadn't died down in the slightest. Silver must have wanted a Houndour more than anything else when he was a child because this level of happiness was beyond anything Gold would ever have anticipated. Scooting closer to Silver, he wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned his head on his shoulder.

Silver smiled and said, "I never thought... I can't even believe he remembered."

Gold smiled as well. "But aren't you glad he did?"

The Houndour, seemingly noticing Silver's mood, lay its head on Silver's lap and snuggled against his left leg. Silver scratched it behind its ears and said, "Yeah."

Silver started to look around and said, "Shit. I need to at least thank him."

Gold tightened his grip on Silver and said, "I wouldn't go over there if I were you. Mom found out about his plan to pay all of her future medical bills, so she's raking him over the coals."

Silver seemed to lose his motivation to move after that. Not that Gold blamed him. His mother was scary when she lost her temper. And anyway, he didn't want Silver to move. It was nice just sitting together like this, and, in Gold's opinion, the moment couldn't last long enough. Silver seemed to be of a similar mind because he turned to look at Gold while also taking Gold by the chin. Gold allowed Silver to raise his head, and when they were eye-level, Silver leaned in.

When their lips touched, Gold was taken aback by Silver's apparent apathy toward public displays of affection. Gold had been certain this was the kind of thing Silver would want to keep behind closed doors, which was why he hadn't tried to kiss him in in front of people. But if Silver wasn't bothered, then neither was Gold, and he leaned into the kiss. It broke after only a few seconds, but it was satisfying, nonetheless.

As he sat there with Silver and Houndour, he couldn't help but think this was gonna turn out to be another perfect day.

* * *

The barbecue ended after about another hour, and once everything was cleaned up, Silver and Giovanni both announced that they had to get going. Silver had work in a few hours, and Giovanni couldn't risk staying in one place for too long. Gold was mildly disappointed that Silver had to leave, but they'd made plans for Gold to come over to his house the next day. So, once Silver was ready to leave, Gold sent him off with a quick kiss and told him he'd see him tomorrow.

Gold had decided he'd spend the rest of the day with his mother, so the two of them sat together watching sitcoms and laughing at the stupidity of the main cast well into the evening until Gold looked at the clock and realized he needed to take a shower. He left Miranda sitting on the couch, laughing loudly at whatever joke was just told on the TV show and disappeared upstairs. He hopped into the shower quickly, and he could still hear his mother laughing, even as he turned the water on.

After a few minutes, though, the laughing stopped. That was odd. Had the show entered a serious moment or had she changed the channel? He thought no more of it and finished his shower at the normal pace. He changed into a button-up, black sleeping shirt and a pair of black sleeping pants before heading back downstairs. He stepped into the living room and was about to ask his mom what she was watching when his veins turned to ice at the sight of Miranda, lying on her bed, with her wrists and ankles bound to the bed with tattered sheet. A strip of duct tape covered her mouth, and tears stained her face.

He took a step forward and said, "Mom?"

However, before he could reach her, someone stepped into his path, someone's whose cold, angry eyes set Gold's heart to racing with sheer terror: Anthony. He stared up at the large man in front of him, and his voice had apparently left him as he was unable to say anything as Anthony took him by his throat and shoved him into a nearby wall. Gold knew better than to struggle while Anthony had such a firm grip on his neck, so he did the only thing he could do, he subtly slipped his hand into the pocket of his pants and started fumbling with his pokegear. If he could get out a call,  _any_  call, he could get help. But his hands were shaking so rapidly that the device kept slipping from his grasp.  _Calm down._  He told himself.  _You have to stay calm._

"I tried to be nice, Gold," Anthony said. "I even showed up at that barbecue all friendly-like, and what did you do? You blew me off and then humiliated me by sucking face with that fucking ginger in front of the whole damn town."

The kiss, the one Gold had been so surprised that Silver had initiated, Anthony had been watching. He'd seen the whole thing. No wonder he'd snapped. Gold stared directly into Anthony's eyes, hoping to keep his gaze on his face and away from the shaky hand in his pocket. His fingers moved over the smooth buttons on the pokegear as he mumbled, "Whatever you're gonna do, Anthony, just... don't make her watch. Please."

He heard Miranda's muffled cries of protest, but he had to keep his attention on Anthony. If he let Anthony believe he was giving in, this would be a lot easier. He pushed several buttons on the pokegear, wanting desperately to hear the sound that would let him know a call was going out.

Anthony huffed. "That's fine. I wanted some privacy anyway."

With that said, Anthony took Gold by the arm and dragged him into the dining room, out of Miranda's sight. It was only when the two of them set foot into the room that Gold finally heard it, the beeping that let him know a call was going out. Unfortunately, Anthony heard it too, and when he did, he ripped Gold's hand out of his pocket and roughly smacked the pokegear out of his hand.

"Trying to be sneaky, huh?" Anthony taunted. "Should have known."

Anthony's eyebrows ran together, and a glare Gold knew only too well flashed across his features as the larger man picked Gold up by the collar of his shirt and slammed him onto the dining room table.  _Fight back_. Gold's brain told him.  _Don't let him have his way like you used to. Fight!_  And fight he did. He started biting at Anthony's hands and reared a foot back in an attempt to kick him in the stomach. But, just like all of the times he'd tried to fight Anthony off in the past, he was unsuccessful as Anthony drove a fist right into the side of Gold's head. Dazed, Gold was unable to resist as Anthony dragged him to the edge of the table and flipped him onto his stomach, pinning Gold down with his much larger body mass. In this vulnerable position, Gold had no method of further resistance, and his stomach ached with dread at what Anthony would do next.

Leaning over Gold, Anthony brought his lips next to Gold's ear and said, "I know you remember, Gold. I told you over and over again. You're  _mine_."

Anthony then made Gold's stomach turn when he stuck out his tongue and ran it over Gold's ear. His whole body tensed up in disgust, and, through gritted teeth, Gold bit back, "No, I'm not!"

He knew saying such a thing would only serve to make Anthony even more angry, but he wasn't about to let Anthony think he had  _any_  more control than he actually had. He'd come too far to allow Anthony any amount of leverage.

The larger man snarled and said, "He's ruined you. You never would have acted like this before."

Before Gold could respond, Anthony had taken him by his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. By his tight grip, Gold knew what Anthony was about to do, but there was no way to prepare himself for the piercing pain that was going to rip through his entire arm when Anthony twisted his wrist too far and shattered it with ease. Gold tried to hold back his scream, but it only resulted in a pained grunt that was just as loud as a scream would have been.

Against his own will, his brain started replaying all of the times something like this had happened in the past. The first time had been because he'd stayed out too late and Anthony assumed he'd been off with another man, so he broke his arm. The second time, Gold had accidentally spilled Anthony's beer, so Anthony broke his ribs. He remembered every detail, every wave of pain, and the fear: the pure, unadulterated fear. And, despite how much he didn't want to give Anthony the satisfaction of seeing that fear, he couldn't hold it back. Not now, not after Antony had dragged up all of these old memories.

So Gold didn't even attempt to resist when Anthony flipped him back over onto his back and stared down at him. Gold tried to keep his eyes averted, but he was unable to stop himself from glancing up at Anthony for a split second. When he did, he saw the look of utter satisfaction on the brute's face. Looking away, Gold cursed himself for giving Anthony exactly what he wanted.

"That's better," Anthony said in a fake soothing voice. "That's the face I wanted."

Gold's eyes grew wider and his chest wrenched. That voice. He knew that voice. There was only one time Anthony ever used that tone. No. Anything but that. He would take any amount of broken bones, bruises, cuts, or anything else Anthony wanted to throw at him, but not that.

Even as he mentally pleaded against it, Anthony moved to do exactly what Gold knew he would do. He bent over and whispered in Gold's ear, "I've missed you."

With one swift motion, Anthony took Gold's shirt by the collar and ripped it open, sending buttons flying all over the room. Gold cringed heavily when Anthony ran a hand up the middle of his chest and started trying to push the shirt off of his shoulders. That was it, that was as much as Gold could take. His drive to fight back returned in that instant and he used his only remaining good hand to push against Anthony's shoulder.

"Get off me!" Gold growled.

Anthony scoffed and took Gold's good wrist before pinning it over his head. He leaned in and breathed against Gold's neck when he said, "Now don't start acting up. You were just starting to behave."

Anthony's hot, heavy breaths brushing against the sensitive skin on Gold's neck made his entire body tense up and a deep nausea took root in his stomach. And that nausea doubled when Anthony snaked his tongue out and started lapping at Gold's neck.

Gold squirmed as wildly as he could, trying to pull his neck away from Anthony's mouth and said, "Stop! Get the fuck off me!"

Gold heard the growl rumble in Anthony's throat before he withdrew his tongue and instead sunk his teeth deep into Gold's neck, breaking the skin with little effort. Gold winced, but refused to make a sound and continued to struggle as best he could. This only served to anger Anthony more, however, and he continued leaving bites all along Gold's neck and eventually descended to his chest where he continued his assault.

The bites were painful, but they were nothing compared to the terror that shot through Gold's body when Anthony slid his free hand down and slipped it inside of Gold's pants. Gold felt bile start to raise up from his throat when Anthony's fingers brushed against his flaccid member.

Gold's lower body twitched and started raising off of the table as he exclaimed, "Don't fucking touch me!"

Not this. Of all the things Anthony could do to him, this was the worst. He knew what would happen if Anthony suddenly started stroking him there. His body would react absent his will, and he would feel good from this brute's hand. The thought was beyond sickening, it was absolutely vile. So he turned, wiggled, struggled, and fought as hard as he could to try to force Anthony's hand out of his pants. And he would have kept fighting for as long as he needed to, but a bright flash of light coming from the corner of the room grabbed not only his attention, but Anthony's as well.

Before Gold could turn to see what the light was, though, he heard a vicious snarl followed by a very familiar blue Houndour leaping onto Anthony and sinking its teeth into his shoulder. Anthony screamed loudly, and stumbled backward into the wall behind him. However, the large man never had the opportunity to attempt to pull Houndour away as a wave of purple-tinted energy wracked Anthony's whole body, knocking him unconscious and leaving Houndour completely unscathed. Gold turned to where the energy had come from and thought he might faint at the sight of Silver standing next to his Alakazam.

Wait, Silver? Was that who the call had gone out to? No. Not Silver. He hadn't meant to call Silver. He didn't want Silver seeing him like this, wounded, violated, and broken. Silver was never meant to see the true horror that Anthony was capable of. Not ever. And as the redhead started approaching him, Gold couldn't keep from drawing into himself so much that when Silver reached the table, Gold said, "Mom's in the living room. Help her."

Gold saw the worry in Silver's eyes when he said, "Gold, what-?"

Unable to hold back the pain in his voice, Gold said, "Help Mom first."

Silver either didn't want to argue or he could see that it was pointless because he listened and went off to the living room to take care of Miranda. Finally, with Silver out of sight, Gold found the strength to sit up. He looked drunkenly around the room and saw Houndour sitting by Anthony, seemingly keeping an eye on him in case he woke up. Gold's legs shook wildly as he placed them on the floor and stood, needing to brace himself on the table to keep from falling. Not really sure where he was headed, he started walking across the dining room, only stopping when he reached the decorative mirror right beside the doorway that led to the living room.

For the first time since Anthony had shown up, Gold was given a glimpse at what he looked like. At least a half-dozen bite-marks riddled the left side of his neck and chest. A hand-shaped bruise trailed all along his neck from where Anthony had grabbed it so forcefully. His face was stained with tears he didn't even know had fallen. His broken wrist was so badly bruised and twisted that it scarcely looked like a wrist anymore. He'd been here before, staring himself in the mirror and seeing the results of Anthony's abuse, but this was different. It was far worse because he thought he'd gotten away from this, that this was never something he was going to have to see again. Anthony had proven him wrong in the worst possible way.

The nausea that had been present in his body for the past several minutes bubbled to the surface along with the contents of his stomach. He rushed to the plastic waste bin they kept in the dining room and used it to catch the vomit that forced its way out of his mouth. Disgusting. Filthy. Vile. Those were the only words he could use to describe how he felt in those moments. It was as if Anthony's hands contained a plague and he'd passed that plague on to Gold through his touch. Never had he needed a shower more in his life.

Once he finished purging his stomach, he felt a gentle hand on his back that he knew belonged to his mother. The utter defeat was evident in her voice when she said, "Gold, honey. Look at me."

He didn't want her to see, but he also knew he didn't have the energy, nor the will, to refuse her, so he allowed her to take him by his cheeks and turn his face. As soon as she set eyes on him, more tears overflowed from her eyes and she threw her arms around him, pulling his head down to lean against her chest.

She leaned her cheek against the top of his head and sobbed, "Oh, Gold. My baby."

Nearby, Gold noticed Silver glaring down at Anthony, and Gold could guess what he was thinking. Silver was imagining all of the ways he could kill Anthony right now and he was probably also trying to think of ways he could dispose of the body. And with the pure, unfiltered rage that was present on Silver's face, Gold wasn't sure if he would actually go through with it.

In an attempt to calm him, Gold said, "Silver, don't. Please."

The rage seemed to die immediately, and Silver turned to Gold. Their eyes met, and Gold saw something he had never wanted to see from Silver: pity. The sight made Gold have to avert his eyes, and his chest tightened. No matter what, this was going to permanently change how Silver looked at him, and Gold wasn't sure he could handle that.

* * *

Anger. It was something Silver was familiar with. He'd spent a good portion of his life angry at the world. But the anger that was boiling inside of him right now was more intense, more overwhelming, and more terrifying than anything he'd ever felt. When he'd first come out of the shower and seen a voicemail from Gold, he'd been excited. But then, hearing what he heard on the other end of the line, he'd never experienced such a gut-wrenching combination of fear and rage.

" _I know you remember, Gold. I told you over and over again. You're_ mine _."_

_"No, I'm not!"_

After that, he was faced with a decision: how to reach Gold. He knew he could have flown the whole way, but it would take too long. His only option then was to fly closer to New Bark Town, close enough for Alakazam to teleport him. But the flight was longer than any flight he'd ever taken as he knew, with every passing second, Gold was in more and more danger. And he couldn't have been less prepared for the sight when he teleported to Gold's house. Seeing that brute on top of Gold had brought out a frightening desire in Silver that he didn't know he had. He'd talked about breaking Anthony's neck before, but he hadn't been entirely serious. However, after Alakazam knocked Anthony out, when Silver saw Anthony lying there vulnerable and unconscious, it had taken every ounce of will he had to hold himself back from finding the nearest sharp object and driving it into the monster's neck.

Now Gold was lying in a hospital bed, and while Silver knew Miranda was with him, the drive to be by Gold's side was pushing against him so hard that it was painful. He wanted to storm into the room, wrap his arms around Gold, and hold him tighter than he ever had before. The only thing that stopped him was the simple fact that he knew Gold needed his mother right now more than he needed anyone else. No one could take the place of a mother's comfort in this kind of situation. So he waited, impatiently, but he waited until Miranda finally emerged from the room, wiping tears from her eyes as she did.

She turned to him and her voice shook when she said, "He keeps telling me he'll be okay, but I know he's lying."

She took a step closer to Silver, placed her hand in the center of his chest and said, "He needs  _you_  right now, Silver. So don't let him push you away, no matter what he says or does."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "Push me away?"

She nodded. "He's going to try. I know it. Don't let him."

She then walked away, leaving Silver alone outside of the room. Now that he'd spoken with Miranda, he was incredibly nervous about walking into that room. She'd never been wrong about Gold in the past, so if she said Gold was going to try to push him away, Silver knew she was probably right. The only thing he couldn't comprehend was why Gold would do that?

Well, he wasn't going to find any answers standing outside, so he shoved his doubts to the wayside and walked into the room. He found Gold lying on his side, his broken wrist resting on his hip and his arm with the IV leaning on the pillow next to his head. His eyes were downcast, and when Silver reached the bed, Gold didn't look at him. Silver's first instinct was to reach for him, so he did, attempting to run a hand through his hair. Gold's whole body jolted at the touch and he recoiled.

Thinking he might have frightened him, Silver said, "I'm sorry, Gold."

Gold shook his head and pressed it back into the pillow, "Don't be."

That response. It was cold, emotionless even, completely different from what Silver was used to. Miranda was right. This must have been the start of Gold attempting to distance himself, not that Silver was going to allow it. He took a seat in the chair next to the bed and waited, knowing that there was nothing he could say to Gold in this situation and hoping Gold might break the silence himself.

The room stayed almost dead quiet for what felt like hours, the only noise coming from Gold's heart rate monitor. When Gold finally did speak, it was with a withered voice that said, "I told myself, over and over, that I was  _never_  gonna give that son-of-a-bitch any power over me again. And I believed it, too."

His shoulders tensed up, his good hand clenched into a fist, and Silver could see his eyes misting over when he went on, "But then he shows up at my house, gives me only a fraction of what he used to, and what do I do?"

Gold's eyes slammed shut, and Silver could feel the words spit from Gold's mouth like poison when he said, "I gave him power. I let him fucking scare me."

Every word that left Gold's lips felt like shards of glass launching into Silver's skin. Gold was blaming himself. Anthony had broken into his house, tied up his mother, and assaulted him, but he was blaming himself. No. Silver wouldn't allow it. Not as long as he was still breathing. Standing up, Silver reached a hand out to Gold, once again attempting to offer some sort of comfort. However, just as he had a few minutes ago, Gold jerked back, seemingly not wanting Silver to touch him.

Silver's chest stung from the reaction. Why? Why wouldn't Gold let him touch him? Silver's whole body ached with the instinct to comfort Gold, but Gold wasn't allowing him to do it. Hoping to get to the bottom of this, Silver said, "Gold, I can't just sit here. I know there's probably nothing I can do to make this even remotely better, but you have to at least let me try."

But Gold only drew back further, which made Silver's eyes sting with mist. He'd been angry before, overwhelmingly angry, but that was gone completely, replaced with a deep despair that made his whole body feel fifty pounds heavier. Gold, the person who was more important to Silver than anyone else in the world was in pain, severe pain, and nothing had ever made Silver feel more useless because Gold seemed to be telling him there really  _was_  nothing he could do to help. Silver's fists clenched, and he stared down at the hospital bed, truly at a loss about what he was supposed to do now.

Gold, however, chimed in, and his voice sounded more pitiful than ever when he said, "They didn't let me shower, so I can... still feel him. He's everywhere, all over me. It's... it's fucking disgusting."

Silver's eyes moved to Gold's face, and the younger man's cheeks were stained with the tears that had leaked from his eyes. And his body was so withdrawn into itself he may as well have been curled into the fetal position. Disgusting? That was what Gold was feeling in those moments? It made sense. Silver knew how much Gold despised Anthony, and having the person you hate more than anyone in the world do such things to you would make anyone feel tainted. But, understandable as it was, Silver wasn't about to let Gold go on thinking it.

Silver kept his voice steady when he said, "So you don't want me to touch you because you think you're disgusting?"

Gold didn't answer, but the look on his face did all of the talking Silver needed. Now he understood what Miranda had told him. Gold was trying to push him away, and this was the moment Silver needed to  _not_ let him. Without giving Gold the option to refuse, Silver kicked off his shoes and climbed into the hospital bed next to Gold. Just as he had two other times, Gold tried to back away, but he was trapped in the bed, unable to go anywhere. Silver gently took Gold into his arms, and pulled him down so that Gold's head was resting in the crook of his neck. He felt the hard intensity all through Gold's body, but he knew this was the only way Gold was going to believe what he was about to tell him.

Taking Gold by his chin, Silver made the younger man raise his head, and he looked directly into Gold's eyes when he said, "You are  _not_  disgusting, and  _none_  of this is your fault."

He rested his cheek on the top of Gold's head and held him firmly, even as Gold still tried to rebuke him. After a few moments, however, the tension in Gold's body slowly began to wane, and he seemed to give up on his efforts to keep Silver at a distance. Whether it was due to exhaustion or because he truly didn't want to be left alone, Silver wasn't sure, but he would take it either way.

The room went silent again for several more minutes, but, just like last time Gold was the one to break the silence when he said, "He told me, more times than I can remember... ' _Even if you leave me, no matter how far you run, you're mine. You'll_ always _be mine_.'"

Silver looked down at Gold and saw more tears leak from the younger man's eyes when he went on, "I guess he was out to prove it."

 _You're mine_. Silver had heard Anthony speak those very words in the voicemail, so learning it was one of his favorite threats was hardly surprising. However, unlike last time, Silver already knew exactly what to say. Silver shifted his position so that Gold was no longer leaning against him and ran his hand up Gold's arm and rested it on the bite-ridden skin on his neck. Gold shuttered a bit, clearly not comfortable with the wounds being touched, but he calmed slightly when Silver ran his other hand through Gold's hair.

Hoping his voice would come out a soothing as he wanted it to, Silver motioned toward the wounds on Gold's neck and said, " _This_  doesn't matter, what he said doesn't matter. The  _only_ thing that matters is what  _you_  said."

The confused expression on Gold's face told Silver he didn't remember his own words. To remind him, Silver leaned closer and said, " _I've been yours for a while_."

The recognition flashed across Gold's features, and Silver moved the hand on Gold's neck up to his cheek when he said, "You're  _not_  his. You were  _mine_ before, and you're  _mine_  now. Nothing he did or said changes that. The only one who can change that is  _you_."

That was, evidently, exactly what Gold needed to hear because the pained expression that had been present on his face since Silver stepped foot into the room evaporated in an instant. Moving on his own, Gold leaned back into Silver and rested his head on the redhead's chest.

He draped his cast-encased arm over Silver's torso and said, "Say that again."

At first, Silver wanted to ask "which part." But, he immediately figured out that would have been a dumb question. It was obvious which part Gold was talking about. After placing a gentle kiss on Gold's forehead, Silver breathed, "You're  _mine_."

Gold's body relaxed even more, and Silver could feel more tears seeping through his shirt, but he could sense they were no longer due to pain, but relief instead. He hadn't thought he would be able to say anything that would make Gold feel better, but feeling the despair lift from Gold in those moments was the single greatest feeling Silver had ever experienced.

Gripping onto Gold a little bit tighter, Silver said, "Try to get some sleep, Gold. I'm not going anywhere."

Gold didn't say anything after that, but he didn't need to. Everything that needed to be said had been said already. So Silver snuggled into his position next to Gold and closed his own eyes, only now realizing just how exhausted he was.


	16. The Mother

It had been a month since he'd seen him. Silver settled into his bed around midnight and sighed heavily at the thought. The morning after Anthony's attack, Silver had tried to convince Gold that he could call into work if need be, but Gold had insisted that Silver didn't have to do that. If Silver had known that was the last time they would see each other for  _this_  long, he might have been more aggressive in his protests. Between Miranda's hospital visits due to the start of the treatment, Gold's own visits to the hospital, visits to the courthouse for the sentencing of Anthony, and Silver's job, Gold and Silver had had  _no_  time to see each other. And it was maddening to say the least.

Gold had recently been through something harrowing, something that had left him looking more shattered than Silver had ever seen him. For that reason, he never wanted to leave Gold's side for even a second. To be forced to keep their communications to only daily phone calls and messages for this amount of time made Silver want to tear out his hair. He wanted to see him. He  _needed_ to see him. No matter what Gold said over the phone, Silver couldn't be certain Gold was actually doing okay unless he could look into his eyes and see it for himself. So he made up his mind that, no matter what, he was going to see Gold the next day, even if he had to refuse to come into work if called. As much as Gold didn't like him doing that for his sake, Silver had waited long enough.

He awoke to the sound of his alarm clock like normal, and reached out to shut it off. However, before he was able to move to sit up, he was jolted to attention by an arm suddenly draping over him. His heart raced, and he rolled onto his back only to see the positively delightful sight of Gold smiling down at him. He wore nothing but a pair of boxers and a black brace on his wrist, so Silver knew he must've snuck into the room sometime during the night and slept beside him.

Silver didn't try to hide how happy he was to see him, and he reached a hand up to grab him by the back of the neck. Gold yielded like he always did and Silver pressed their lips together tightly. Not giving Gold even a moment to adjust, Silver switched their positions, and came down upon Gold like he had the night before the barbecue. And it felt incredible, like receiving a hot meal after three days without food. Gold, it seemed, was equally enthusiastic as a light moan rumbled in his throat, and his hands gripped Silver's shoulder's. The sounds of their desperate, fervent kisses echoed through the room, and Silver couldn't help but think about how he'd love to be awakened like this every morning.

He didn't allow himself to get too carried away this time, however, and stopped before things got too heavy. He looked down at Gold's dazed expression and said, "Haven't seen you in a while."

Gold's lips curled into a smile. "I know. I'm sorry."

Silver kissed Gold on the forhead and flipped onto his back. "It's all right. You've been busy."

Gold then snuggled up closer and rested his head on Silver's chest. Silver's arm came around to hold him, and Silver asked, "How's Miranda?"

"She's doing a lot better," Gold answered. "She was really bad for the first two weeks because her body had to adjust to the treatment, but now she can do a few light chores around the house with no trouble. I still haven't let her move her bed back upstairs yet, though."

Silver wasn't surprised to hear that. After Miranda's fall, Silver was certain Gold wasn't going to let her sleep upstairs until she was 100% cancer free. But the question Silver really wanted to ask was still resting on his tongue. After seeing him so little since that night, Silver had to know if Gold was really okay.

Hoping Gold would't think he was being too overbearing, Silver asked, "What about you?"

Like Silver figured he would, Gold said, "I'm fine."

Silver looked down at him, not holding back his stern expression. Gold seemed to notice the tension and met Silver's gaze. Gold's eyes brightened slightly and he grinned warmly as he said, "I mean it, Silver. I'm  _really_  okay. I'll admit that I wasn't for the first few days, but I'm okay now."

 _I wasn't for the first few days_. Those word ripped through Silver like claws, and he released an exaspirated sigh. His grip on Gold tightened as he said, "I should've insisted on taking off work. I never should have left you alone."

Gold's eyebrows ran slightly together and he turned onto his stomach. Both of his hands slid up Silver's chest and rested on the sides of his neck when he said, "Silver, you called me every day, sometimes multiple times. I was never alone."

That was true. There were even times when Silver would stop before he called and worry that he was calling too often. Still, it didn't seem like enough, and, were he able to turn the clock back a month, he knew he would have done things differently.

His thoughts were interrupted when Gold leaned his face in closer and said, "Stop. Worrying is supposed to be  _my_ thing."

Before Silver could answer, Gold's lips descended on his neck. Breaths from Gold's nose tickled the sensitive skin, sending a familiar chill through Silver's body. But Gold didn't stop there and kissed slowly up the side of Silver's neck until he reached the skin right below his ear. Gold was at it again, testing Silver's resolve to hold back, just as he did the night before the barbecue.

At the feeling of another kiss, the muscles in Silver's stomach tightened, and he said, "Remember how I said it's difficult to hold back?"

"Mmm hmm," Gold said, not stopping what he was doing.

Between the feeling of Gold's lips and the continued breaths that were now flowing into Silver's ear, he could feel his pants getting tighter. He wanted so desperately to tell Gold not to stop because every kiss felt better than the last. But he knew he couldn't allow himself to get lost in the moment, no matter how good it might feel.

His hand gripped the hair on the back of Gold's head when he said, "Yeah, you don't make it any easier when you do that."

To Silver's simultaneous surprise and confusion, Gold's lips stopped moving. He pulled away and rolled over onto his back. Silver knew what was happening before Gold even said a word. Silver had learned to recognize the expression that would appear on Gold's face whenever he started worrying.

Turning onto his side, Silver asked, "Gold? What's wrong?"

Gold raised a hand and scratched the side of his head. "Are we... moving too slow?"

Silver's eyebrows ran slightly together at the question. Moving too slow? Why would Gold feel the need to ask that? Had Silver done something or said something wrong? Scooting closer to Gold, Silver took one of his hands and asked, "What do you mean? Does it seem like I'm pressuring you?"

"N-No!" Gold immediately answered. "Dammit, I'm so bad at this..."

Gold grunted in frustration, and Silver couldn't help but smile. As much as he didn't like it when Gold would become overly-worried about things, he had to admit it was also incredibly adorable to watch Gold look so flustered.

After seemingly figuring out what he wanted to say, Gold went on, "It's just, you've said twice how hard it is for you to hold back, so I know that you  _really_  want to take it all the way."

He was saying "no" to the question of feeling pressured, but it was obvious by what he'd just said that he was feeling pressure. Silver made a mental note to tone down on the talk about "holding back." He had meant it as banter,  _not_  as a means of pressuring Gold into doing something he wasn't ready to do. Silver released Gold's hand and instead reached up to place his hand against the side of Gold's head.

He smiled and said, "Of course I  _want_  to."

Gold's expression shifted to that starry-eyed one that always made Silver beam with pride. In response, Silver leaned closer to Gold and kissed him gently on the temple before saying, "But I also want you to take that step because  _you_ want to, not because you're just trying to satisfy  _me_. Why would I want to sleep with you if you weren't fully invested? What would be the point?"

Gold either didn't have an answer, or he was too dazed to come up with one because he remained silent. Silver chuckled lightly and pulled Gold against him and into a tight hug. Gold squeezed him in response, and Silver mumbled, "Worrying really  _is_  your thing."

He was about to tilt Gold's head back and kiss him again when the sound of Gold's pokegear beeping from the nightstand broke the silence of the room. Gold reached out and silenced the sound before groaning and burying his face in Silver's chest.

"I have to go," Gold said. "Mom has a doctor's appointment today and she still can't drive."

Silver knew he shouldn't feel disappointed, but he couldn't stop himself. This was the first time he'd seen Gold in a month, and now Gold had to leave again. Gold pushed away slightly, and Silver felt his spirits lift a bit when Gold said, "But don't worry, I'll be back afterward. You're gonna be here, right?"

Silver nodded, already having made up his mind that he would  _not_ be going to work today even if they tried to call him in. Smiling brightly, Gold gave Silver a quick kiss before climbing out of the bed and gathering his clothes. Once he was dressed, he turned back to Silver and said, "I'll see you later."

Watching him leave was painful, but the promise that he would be back eased the pain slightly. After he heard the front door open and close, Silver climbed out of bed, and dressed before heading to the kitchen. Figuring he'd best stave off the caffeine headache before it started, he put some coffee to brewing and started digging through the refrigerator for something to eat for breakfast. Nothing looked good, and he groaned in annoyance. He'd become spoiled off of Gold's awesome cooking, and living without it for the past month had been torture.

Eventually, he decided he'd just eat some cereal, and he was about to pour himself a bowl when he heard a knock at his front door followed by the sound of Houndour barking from the living room. Gold didn't knock anymore, so he knew it wasn't him at the door. Thinking it might have been his dad, he headed for the living room, told Houndour to quiet down, and opened the front door. As soon as he set eyes on the person standing in his doorway, he almost had to do a double take. This woman, she only looked slightly younger than his father, but her fiery red hair was the same shade as Silver's, and her wide eyes were the same deep grey.

Her hands fidgeted as she parted her trembling lips and said, "Silver?"

* * *

Gold arrived at his house to find his mom already dressed and ready to go. Which was surprising considering the last time he'd had to wait several minutes for her to get dressed. Her ability to move around efficiently seemed to come and go, but this seemed to be one of her good days.

She smiled as he approached and said, "I really don't see why you won't let someone else take me to some of these appointments, Gold. You've been neglecting Silver for a month now. Don't you think that's a little bit cruel?"

Gold had to admit that he did feel guilty about how little time he'd spent with Silver over the past month. It was obvious by how deeply Silver had kissed him and how dejected he looked when he left that Silver had missed him terribly. And he'd missed Silver, too. But he couldn't bring himself to let Miranda go to the doctor without him. He had to know everything that was happening with her treatment at all times. This was her one chance to live, and it was far too important for Gold to miss a thing.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he led her to the door as he said, "Come on, Mom. We've talked about this."

She lightly punched him in the chest. "Yes, we have, and now we're talking about it again. Let Michelle take me to the doctor and go back to Silver. I can update you later."

It was true that Professor Elm's wife had offered to take Miranda to the doctor several times, but just like he had every other time, Gold shook his head and said, "No. I have to be there."

Miranda sighed. "Gold."

"Just drop it, Mom," he said bluntly. "You're not winning this one."

Seemingly realizing he was serious, Miranda didn't argue anymore, and the two of them climbed into her car, ready to head to the doctor. On the drive there, Gold's pokegear started to ring, and he passed it off to Miranda for her to answer it, having been forbidden to talk on it while driving. Just one of Miranda's rules that didn't make much sense to him but he followed for the sake of not upsetting her.

Miranda grinned and said, "It's Silver" before pressing the answer button and saying, "Hello, Silver dear."

Gold couldn't hear what Silver was saying on the other end of the line, but Miranda answered, "I'm sorry, dear. He's driving. Can he call you back when we reach the hospital?"

After that, Miranda remained totally silent for several long seconds. Gold stole a glance at her face and he saw her expression shift from what looked like shock to absolute joy. When she seemed to find her voice again, she exclaimed, "Oh, Silver, that's absolutely wonderful!"

Now that got Gold's attention. What did Silver just tell her to make her so excited? Miranda fell silent again and listened intently, all the while her legs were bouncing, more indication of how ecstatic she was. Once she'd heard what she needed to hear, she laughed and said, "Of course, dear! We'll head right over once I'm finished at the doctor! All right! Bye!"

She hung up the pokegear right as Gold was pulling into the hospital's parking lot. Gold drove the car into a parking spot, turned to his mother, and asked, "What was that about?"

Miranda looked at him, and it looked like tears were starting to form in her eyes when she said, "Gold... Silver just met his mother."

* * *

Silver hung up the phone and headed back into the living room, where the woman he now knew was his mother was sitting on the couch waiting for him. When she'd first introduced herself as "Jane" and claimed to be his mother, he didn't know how to react. It seemed such a ridiculous thing considering he'd never even heard mention of her from his father. However, once she pulled out a birth certificate with his name, her name, and Giovanni's name on it, he knew she was telling the truth. The story of his birth was hardly a surprising one: a one-night stand that resulted in a baby that neither she nor his father were planning for. It also explained why Giovanni had never mentioned her. If she'd given up custody then she probably hadn't wanted Silver seeking her out himself.

Now, though, he wanted to know why she'd sought him out and how she'd done it. As he walked up behind her, he peeked over her shoulder and saw that she seemed to be spreading what looked like pictures out onto the coffee table in front of her. When she heard him approach, she glanced over her shoulder and said, "Well, you've kept me in suspense, Silver. Who did you call?"

Clearing his throat, he sat on the couch beside her and said, "I'm, um... with someone."

Her eyes lit up and she took him by his bicep with both hands, "You have a girlfriend!? Really!?"

 _Girlfriend_. Now came the awkward part, where he had to tell her the truth. He took a deep breath and exhaled it before saying, "Not a...  _girl_ friend."

Her eyes narrowed, and it seemed to take her a minute to understand what he meant, which was a little bit surprising. To think that his mother was such a ditz was equal parts charming and hilarious. Once she figured it out, however, she gasped and said, "Oh! Boyfriend!?"

He nodded nervously, and she giggled in response. She released his arm and turned to the pictures on the table. "Either way, I'm glad to hear you're with someone. I can't wait to meet him."

Now that he wasn't talking about Gold, he finally took a second to look at the pictures she had been laying out. They were all of him, taken at different points in his childhood, starting from the one where he'd just been born. He picked up that particular picture and saw his mother lying in a hospital bed, holding him.

She looked exhausted, and he felt compelled to ask, "Were you okay after?"

She grinned and said, "Of course. I just labored for a  _long_  time."

He chuckled and put the picture down. "Dad always said I was a handful. Guess that started from day one."

She laughed at that, and he went back to scanning the pictures. He recognized many of them up until the very last one that was taken when he was around the age of 11. That was when he started getting into trouble and refusing to take any pictures. That was also the time his father started getting involved very heavily with Team Rocket, so it wasn't as if there was anyone around to take any pictures.

"I used to get these from Giovanni on the regular," she said. "But he stopped sending them after that last one."

Deciding it would be best  _not_  to let her know about his crap childhood and his father's questionable choice of employment, he said, "Yeah... he started a new job around that time, so it probably just slipped his mind."

He was immediately glad for her ditzy attitude as she seemed to buy the lie without question. It was becoming abundantly clear to him why things between her and his father had been nothing more than a one-night stand. She seemed to be an air-head, and his father had no patience for air-heads. At the same time, though, her innocence was a welcomed relief for Silver. Finally, someone who lived completely outside of all of the shitshow his life had been. Even Gold, the most important person in his life, was familiar with most of the darkness, but Jane knew none of it.

Maybe that meant he could have a fresh start. Maybe he could have a normal relationship with his mother like the one Gold had with Miranda. Maybe they could do normal things like stand at the kitchen counter talking about potato salad and plan barbecues for the neighbors. Maybe. But before any of that could happen, he had to make sure that was what she wanted. She  _had_  given him up, after all. He didn't blame her for it, but it was still a fact.

So he leaned back onto the couch, crossed his arms, and said, "So... how did you find me?"

She leaned back as well, and a smile was still present on her face when she said, "Well, it wasn't easy. I couldn't get in touch with your father, so I did the only thing I could do. I hired a PI."

A private investigator? She went that far out of her way to find him? Surely that meant she was expecting more from this than just a single meeting. He tried to stop himself from hoping too much, but he couldn't stop his heart from racing when he said, "Why?"

She looked at him, and, for the first time since she'd arrived, all happiness seemed to drain from her face. She stared down at the table and said, "What do you mean, why?"

He'd clearly touched a nerve, which hadn't been his intention, but this was a tough subject that had to be breached if they were going to move forward. Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, he said, "I'm not blaming you, but you did give up custody. Why did you decide to come find me  _now_?"

Her shoulders tensed, and he could see her fists clench. She was clearly very nervous, and while he didn't want her to be, he knew there was little he could do to help because he wasn't about to take back what he said. He had to know the truth.

Her cheeks flushed red and her voice shook when she said, "I'm not under any sort of delusions that, just because I showed up today with some baby pictures and a sob story about me not being ready for a baby, you're suddenly going to want to fall into my arms and call me "Mom." But I guess... I just wanted to see if you'd be okay with me being in your life at all, even if it's just as a friend."

A deep breath Silver didn't know he'd been holding released from his lungs, and he had to turn away to keep from appearing too relieved. So she really had sought him out for the sake of getting to know him? Even though she'd given him up, his mother wanted a second chance. Gold had taught Silver about the importance of second chances more than once, so he wasn't about to turn his nose up at Jane when she clearly had good intentions, especially since he  _wanted_  this. He  _wanted_  a Mom. He didn't  _know_  he did until his mom actually showed up at his door, but now that she was here, he didn't want her to walk out of his life again.

So, hoping that his voice didn't sound too shaky, he said, "I'm... okay with it."

He looked at her in time to see all of the nervousness drain from her face and be replaced with pure joy. He saw her eyes start to well up with tears and she threw her arms around him enthusiastically, pulling him into a tight hug. His chest burned with an equal amount of happiness, and he hugged her back. Yes. A second chance. Finally.

She pulled away after a few seconds and started wiping the tears from her eyes before they could fall. She tried to cover it all up with a laugh and said, "Oh, look at me, getting all weepy. This wasn't the plan."

No doubt. Meeting his mother and planning a future with her in it hadn't exactly been on his to-do list that day. But now that it was happening, he couldn't imagine it  _not_  happening.

Jane stood from the couch and said, "Now, how about I run to the store and buy some things to make dinner? I'm sure your boyfriend will be hungry when he gets here."

He stood with her. "Sounds good, but his mom is coming too, so we'll need enough for her."

She clasped her hands together. "Even better! Shall we go?"

Going to the grocery store with his mom? Now  _that_  was probably the most normal thing he could think of.

* * *

Gold had never been more excited for a doctor's appointment to end. Not only was he about to see Silver, but he was about to meet Silver's mother, something he never thought would happen. And if he was  _this_ excited, he could only imagine how happy Silver was. Growing up the way Silver did, with no mother and a mostly-absent father, he'd never known what it was like to have a real family. Which was probably why he'd gotten close to Miranda as quickly as he did. But now... Silver's own mother was here and he was in the process of patching things up with his father. With this turn of events, Silver would finally get to know what it was like to have his family with him, and Gold was so happy for him that he thought he might melt.

Once he and his mother were both outside of the hospital, Gold called out Altaria and Scizor. With Gold riding Altaria and Miranda riding Scizor, the two of them flew off for Olivine city, each moment seeming to drag as Gold was far too excited to wait. By the time they arrived, it was well into the afternoon, and they slid off of the Pokemon's backs before Gold returned them to their balls.

Gold turned the doorknob and let himself inside, calling out, "Silver! We're here!"

Gold closed the door behind Miranda, and he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. The kitchen door swung open, and there stood Silver, cheeks flushed, with a joy on his face unlike any Gold had ever seen from him. If Gold could have stopped time for just a few seconds, he would have, just so he could keep seeing that look on Silver's face. Since he'd met up with Silver at that bar, he'd watched him slowly come out of his shell, and it had sometimes been a harrowing journey. But now, standing here, and seeing Silver so purely content, it was all worth it.

Gold heard more footsteps coming from behind Silver, and Silver glanced over his shoulder as a woman approached. Before Gold was able to get a good look at her face, Silver said, "Gold, Miranda, this is Jane. My mother."

Jane walked out from behind Silver, and Gold's chest seemed to cave in when he looked upon her. All of the happiness and excitement that had been welling inside of him over the past several hours came crashing to down, and his eyes grew wide. He wanted to be mistaken. He  _needed_  to be mistaken, but he knew he wasn't. She'd cut her hair and changed her clothes, but there was absolutely no doubt in Gold's mind. He knew this woman, and he knew that she  _wasn't_  who she said she was, and her motivations for being here were  _not_  what she claimed. Without stopping to offer an explanation, Gold took Silver by his wrist and pulled him swiftly away from "Jane." As soon as Silver was out of the way, Gold stomped up to her, drove his arm into her chest above her breasts, and shoved her into the wall next to the front door.

Through gritted teeth, and with blazing eyes, he said, "I knew you people were sick, but I never thought you'd go this far."

From behind him, Gold heard Silver snap, "Gold! What the hell are you doing!?"

Knowing he needed to get the explanation out quickly, Gold said, "She's lying to you, Silver. Her name isn't Jane. It's Ariana,  _Rocket Executive_ Ariana, and she's not your mother."

Gold could hear the frantic tone in Silver's voice when he said, "Gold, she has a birth certificate and baby pictures."

The glare on Gold's face only became more intense as the sickness in his stomach quadrupled. He pushed a little harder against Ariana and said, "You actually  _are_  his mother, and you'd  _still_ do this to him? You are a special kind of sadistic!"

Not releasing his hold on her, he glanced over his shoulder and said, "I met her twice, Silver. Once in Mahogany Town and again in Goldenrod's radio tower. I'm telling you, she's not here for some cushy family reunion. She's after the vault."

He turned back to Ariana and snapped, "What happened? Did the other Rockets offer to give you a cut if you charmed the vault's code out of Silver?"

She was putting on a pitifully fake confused look, and he could see crocodile tears starting to pool at the edges of her eyes. She was trying very hard to keep up the charade, but he wasn't going to let her.

Gold heard Silver, who was sounding more and more defeated with each passing second, say, "Is it true?"

Using a voice Gold knew she was faking, Ariana said, "I-I don't know what he's talking about, Silver. This is-"

"Stop!" Gold roared. "I'm not gonna let you keep lying to him!"

Glancing down at her belt, Gold saw three pokeballs nestled there, the exact amount she had when she'd fought him. Knowing this was the perfect opportunity to expose her, he was about to call her out again when Silver, in a voice Gold scarcely recognized, said, "Gold... are you sure?"

Had he not been trying so hard to keep up his anger in the face of Ariana's trickery, he knew he would have burst into tears at the sound of those words. Silver was pleading with him, begging him to be wrong, and if he'd been able to, he would have given Silver what he wanted. But he couldn't. No matter how much this might hurt, he couldn't let this woman use Silver and then dump him like a pile of trash. No. Silver was far too precious to him.

Gathering his resolve, Gold said, "I wish I wasn't, Silver, but if you need proof, make her let out those three Pokemon. I guarantee you they'll be Arbok, Vileplume, and either Murkrow or Honchkrow."

He stared directly into Ariana's eyes with what he was certain was more hatred than he'd ever felt when he said, "Go on, "Jane." Let them out. Prove me wrong."

She stared back at him for what felt like an eternity, clearly trying to think of some way to talk her way out of this. When she seemingly wasn't able to come up with anything, Gold watched the mask fall from her face, along with all pretense.

She scoffed and said, in her normal voice, "I told those idiots you'd recognize me, but they didn't listen. At least I get to say I was right."

The tension in the room reached an apex, and Gold heard Silver choke out, "Fucking christ."

Finally, Gold released his hold on Ariana and backed away a step. His fists clenched tighter than they ever had, and the rage that had been building in his chest for the past several minutes burst forth as he said, "Get the hell out of here before I forget you're a woman and rake your fucking eyes out."

She sneered and looked past him, directly at Silver. With a smirk on her face, she said, "This doesn't change anything, Silver. I'm still your mom, whether you like it or not."

Gold turned to Silver in time to see him raise his head. As soon as Gold lay eyes on Silver's face, his knees shook and threatened to give out. The complete and utter despair tainting Silver's expression was nothing short of absolute torture. This woman, she'd hurt Silver probably more than anyone else ever had, and that only made Gold want to make good on his threat.

However, Silver spoke up and mumbled, "I already have a mom."

He took a step closer to Ariana, his eyes alive with a mixture of rage and anguish, as he snapped, "Get. Out."

Not dropping her smirk, Ariana went for the door and walked out, slamming it closed behind her. The room fell silent after that, save for Silver's heavy breaths. Looking upon him, Gold could see that Silver was about to snap any second. He didn't know what Silver was going to do, but he knew he would need to take this anger out on something. Silver wasn't like him. Silver couldn't bury his emotions and deal with them later. He had to let them out.

So when Silver stormed off to the kitchen, Gold knew that was what he was about to do. Gold and Miranda followed behind him as he approached the kitchen counter. Sitting there were four plates of spaghetti as well as a pot with even more spaghetti sitting nearby, presumably cooked by Ariana. Without thought, Silver ran his hand down the counter, slinging the plates across the room, shattering all four of them, and sending spaghetti flying everywhere. Afterwards, he picked up the pot by its handles, and threw it as well. It bounced off the wall next to the fridge and spilled its contents onto the hardwood floor. Finally, Gold saw him reach for something, something that looked like a stack of pictures. Silver had mentioned baby pictures, so Gold guessed that was what they were. He never got to find out, however, as Silver tore them all right down the middle with one fell swoop and crumpled the pieces into his hands.

The tattered pictures fluttered to the floor and Silver slammed his hands onto the counter before shouting, "FUCK!"

He kept releasing several heavy breaths after that, but as the seconds passed, Gold watched the anger in him start to wane. His legs seemed to lose their strength and he leaned into the hands he had pressed to the counter to hold himself up. And, for the first time since they'd met, Gold saw real tears start to form in Silver's eyes. That was when it became too much and Gold took a step toward him, prepared to offer whatever comfort he could.

To his surprise, however, Miranda pushed past him and approached Silver first. She reached both of her hands out and placed one on Silver's shoulder and the other on the back of his head. That appeared to be Silver's breaking point as his body seemed to crumple in on itself and he collapsed to the kitchen floor. Miranda went with him, and pressed his head into her chest before starting to stroke his hair with one hand and draping her other arm over his shoulders. Every hair on Gold's body stood on end when an anguished cry came bellowing from Silver's throat, muffled by Miranda's chest.

That was as much as Gold could take and he turned his back, unable to hold back his own tears any longer. Of all the things that could have happened today, why did it have to be this? Why did Ariana have to show up here, pretend to care, and crush Silver so completely? Silver was finally starting to open up to people. He'd even invited Vanessa to the barbecue and told her about his and Gold's relationship, both things Gold could never have pictured him doing in the past. Now Ariana had shown Silver the dangers involved in opening yourself up like that, and Gold couldn't help but be afraid that this would send Silver barreling back into constant mistrust.

Gold stood nearby and Miranda kept holding Silver until the redhead broke away from her embrace and shakily got to his feet. Miranda lovingly wiped the tears from his face and said, "Why don't you and Gold run along? I'll get this cleaned up."

Silver glanced over at the mess he'd made, and said, "Miranda, you don't have to-"

She held a hand up to silence him. "Hush, dear. That's what moms are for."

She then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on his cheek before turning her attention to the piles of spaghetti lying all over the floor. Silver finally approached Gold, and Gold opened his mouth to say something when Silver stopped him by saying, "I need a minute. Just... don't go anywhere, okay?"

Gold hadn't planned on going anywhere, but he nodded anyway, letting Silver know he'd be here for him when he was ready. Silver walked past him and out of the kitchen. The front door opened and closed, and Gold had an idea where Silver was headed. The sound of the ocean seemed to calm him. He only hoped it could work its magic again tonight.

* * *

Silver had experienced many different kinds of pain in his life. Loneliness, disappointment, inadequacy, fear, hopelessness. But never had he experienced the utter devastation he was facing right now. He'd gotten his hopes up so much. He'd been planning a future around Ariana, believing her to be his kind and loving mother. Stupid. How could he have been so stupid as to think he could have anything even remotely resembling a normal relationship with anyone besides Gold and Miranda? His whole life had been one disfunction after another. Why did he let himself believe his relationship with his mother would be any different?

He rushed across the Olivine beach and headed to the rock face he'd sat on with Gold the night they'd visited the diner. Sitting down right at the edge, he did the only thing he could think to do in that moment. He reached for his pokegear and dialed a number his father had always told him to call if he ever needed anything.

The phone rang twice, and Giovanni picked up, saying, "Silver? What's going on?"

Knowing his voice probably sounded pitiful, Silver asked, "Why didn't you tell me about Ariana?"

There was a long pause between Silver's question and Giovanni's response, a pause that felt like needles digging into Silver's flesh with every passing second. When he old man finally spoke, he asked, "What happened?"

Silver scoffed. "Nothing much. She just showed up at my door with baby pictures, pretending that she wanted a "second chance.""

A deep sigh came from Giovanni before he said, "Of course she did."

From that response, Silver gathered that Giovanni wasn't surprised that she would do something so despicable. He found out why when Giovanni said, "Ariana has always been a manipulative person. When she gave birth to you, she tried to use you to force me into marriage with her so that she might inherit some of my money. When I made it clear that wasn't going to happen, she left you with me and never looked back. I didn't tell you about her because I didn't see the point if she wanted nothing to do with you. As for the pictures, I have no idea how she got them because I certainly never gave her any."

A manipulative person? That was putting it lightly. She was unbelievably good at it. She knew all the right things to say and all of the emotions to fake to trick Silver completely. And he hated how easily he'd fallen for it.

Releasing a sarcastic laugh, Silver said, "So she never cared? I don't know if that makes it better or worse."

Giovanni either didn't have a response for that or was at a complete loss of words because he didn't answer. Not that there was anything he could say to make this situation any better. Silver had been had. He knew it, and there was nothing that could change it.

Giovanni broke his silence to ask, "Is there anything I can do, Son?"

Silver's eyes fell onto the waves that were slowly washing onto the beach and said, "No. Telling me the truth was enough."

There was a softness to his father's voice when he said, "Are you going to be all right?"

All right? Probably not for a while, but he wasn't gonna give his father any further burdens, so he said, "Eventually."

Silver heard the sincerity when Giovanni said, "All right. Call me if you need anything."

Whether it was due to his emotions being in a twist or because he actually meant to say it, he wasn't sure, but before his father could hang up, Silver said, "Love you, Dad."

Silver knew Giovanni was taken aback by the statement because it took the old man several long seconds to answer. But Silver wasn't in any hurry, and he knew dropping such a bomb was gonna be shocking before he even said it. Giovanni cleared his throat, and Silver could hear a slight break in his voice when he said, "I love you too, Son."

He wished he could say that hearing his father say that made him feel better, but it didn't. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Afterwards, Silver knew he needed to head back to the house before Gold started to get worried, but he wasn't quite ready yet, so he pulled his knees up to his chest and sat for a little while longer, listening to the soothing sound of the waves.

* * *

When Silver finally returned home, he walked inside and found no trace of Gold or Miranda either in the kitchen or the living room. He could only assume Gold had probably left temporarily to take Miranda home. Just to be sure, he called out, "Gold!?"

He felt a wave of relief when he heard Gold's muffled voice shout, "Down here, Silver!"

He was still here? Then he must have sent either Altaria or Scizor to take Miranda home. But what was he doing in the basement? They hadn't been down to the basement since the day he'd started to help Gold overcome his fear of the water. Following Gold's voice, Silver headed down into the basement and was surprised to find Gold sitting in the hot tub with it turned on.

Silver leaned against a nearby wall and asked, "What's going on?"

Gold flashed his doofy grin. "I figured after a day like that you'd probably want to relax."

He then motioned his head toward the wall to his right where a pair of black swim trunks hung from a towel rack. Silver wanted to say no. He wanted to walk back upstairs and fall into his bed, but after Gold went to all this trouble it seemed cruel to refuse him. So Silver took the swim trunks around the corner and changed into them before heading back to the tub. He stepped inside and was about to sit down when Gold suddenly waded up to him and took him by the shoulders.

As Gold started to make him turn his back, Silver asked, "Hey, what are you-?"

Gold gently nudged him forward and said, "I don't know if I've ever told you, but I'm pretty much amazing at giving massages."

Too mentally drained to argue, Silver allowed Gold to lead him to the edge of the tub. He then draped his arms over the outside of the tub and leaned down, allowing his knees to rest on the seat. It was only when Gold put both of his hands on his shoulders, that a thought occurred to Silver.

He looked over his shoulder and said, "What about your wrist?"

Gold glanced at the wrist that was currently missing its brace and said, "Don't worry about it. It doesn't hurt much anymore."

Silver was about to protest, but when Gold's hands started moving, all thoughts of arguing immediately left his mind. He hadn't realized how tight his muscles had become until Gold's hands pressed into them. The soothing feeling of the water combined with the warm pressure of Gold's hands quickly sent a good portion of the tension out of Silver's body, and he exhaled a sigh of delight at the lifting of the burden. He wasn't sure where Gold had learned to do this, but it was doing wonders.

He expected Gold to ask him if he was all right, but the younger man said nothing, seemingly content with waiting for Silver to break the silence himself. Which was no problem. He wanted to talk to Gold about this. Gold was one of the only people in the world he  _could_  talk to about it.

He turned his head to the side and rested it on his own arms as he said, "I can't believe I fell for it."

Gold's hands paused for only a second before going right back to work. Silver released a light moan when Gold moved down his back and closer to the center. As Silver became more and more relaxed, all of the thoughts that had been swimming through his head since Ariana left came bubbling back to the surface and he said, "It's so obvious now what she was doing. My long-lost mother suddenly showing up out of nowhere and wanting to make up for lost time? I should have known that was too damn good to be true. Nothing in my life has ever been that perfect."

He exhaled heavily and buried his face in his arms. "But I ate it up like fucking candy. I'm such an idiot."

Gold stopped his hands after that, but Silver only had a moment to be disappointed before Gold wrapped his arms gently around Silver's torso and pulled himself closer. His chest pressed into Silver's back, and he lay a kiss on the crease between Silver's shoulder and neck.

"You're not an idiot," Gold said. "If she'd been anyone else, and if she'd been using any other method of manipulation, you would've seen it for what it was."

Silver wanted to believe him, but after being fooled so easily, he just couldn't. So he asked, "What makes you so sure?"

Gold squeezed him just a little tighter and answered, "Because you said yourself that you understand how abusers work. But-"

Silver scoffed. "It's obvious now that I don't."

"You didn't let me finish," Gold said sternly.

Silver quieted himself after that, waiting to hear what Gold was going to say, but not enthusiastic about it changing his mind. Gold leaned his cheek against Silver's back, right below his neck and went on, "But she played off something that's built into every kid from the moment they're born. No matter how awful they are, no matter what horrible things they might do, we can't help but love our parents and want them to love us. You never felt love for your mother because she was never around, but as soon as she showed up and you made the connection, your mind couldn't help but default to that instinct every person has to love their mother."

Instinct? Was that really what it had been? He hadn't considered such a thing, but it made sense. As soon as she proved she was his mother, all sorts of weird feelings started bouncing around inside of his head. And when she'd offered to be part of his life, he'd never been more excited about anything. Was it really that simple? Was this really something he couldn't have helped?

Gold then peeled his cheek away from Silver's back and placed a few more kisses on the skin his cheek had been resting on. "You can feel bad about this all you want. That's to be expected, but don't you dare blame yourself. This is  _her_  fault. She knew you never had a mother, and she knew how badly you wanted one. For her to use that to try to manipulate you... it's disgusting."

In his mind, Silver knew this was entirely Ariana's fault, but he hated how his own biological drives had so easily taken him over. It was easy enough to admit it had been his instincts, but it was another thing entirely to admit that his instincts had ruled over him in those moments. There was nothing he hated more than losing control, and that was exactly what had happened to him when Ariana started in on him.

Raising his head, Silver said, "This probably wouldn't sting as bad as it does if I hadn't gotten my damn hopes up so high. I was planning a fucking future around her, Gold. I was picturing Christmases, birthdays, barbecues, and all sort of other normal shit. And then..."

He needed to stop. He'd finally managed to expel most of the sadness. He didn't want it reemerging, especially now that he understood what kind of person Ariana was. He wouldn't waste his tears on such a person ever again.

Gold's arms unhooked from around Silver and his hands trailed back up to his shoulders. He gently nudged at Silver, seemingly asking him to turn around. Silver yielded to Gold's touch and turned around. As soon as he did, his face burned with a blush when Gold climbed onto his lap and sat on his thighs. Before Silver could react, Gold had wrapped his arms around his neck. Their chests pressed together, and Silver could feel that both of their hearts were beating with equal speed.

Without pulling away from the hug, Gold said with a slightly sombre tone, "You don't need her to have all of that "normal shit." You don't need her at all."

It was only in that moment, when he heard the mild desperation in Gold's voice that Silver realized how his words probably sounded. Placing so much emphasis on barbecues and birthdays with Ariana, it had to have made Gold feel like having those things with him wasn't good enough. But of course they were. Silver had taken them for granted, but now, after this crap with Ariana, those things meant more to him than they ever had before.

Gold was right. He didn't need Ariana to have those things, and he didn't need her to be happy. Silver's hands slipped around to Gold's chest and gingerly nudged him back. Gold didn't seem to want to pull away, but Silver wanted to look into his eyes for what he was about to say.

He cupped Gold's face in his hands, met his gaze, and breathed, "You're all I need."

Like he had many other times, Silver grinned when he watched Gold swoon. Only this time, Gold didn't turn away embarrassed. This time, he threw his arms back around Silver's neck and pulled him into a sudden kiss that nearly made Silver lose his breath. Silver breathed in the heavy breaths Gold was releasing, and he tensed when Gold's tongue plunged into his mouth. With such a tantalizing invitation, Silver couldn't help but press into the kiss with just as much fervor and slide his tongue out as well. A not-so-quiet moan erupted from Gold's throat as Silver ran his hands up Gold's back, pressed one hand between his shoulder blades, and the other against the back of his head. Whatever space that had been left between them was closed, and Silver soon found himself lost in the haze of breathy, wet kisses.

He felt it at the same time Gold did. This heated exchange was quickly becoming overwhelming for both of them as they both sprang to attention and their bulges pressed together tightly. This time, though, Silver didn't pull away. After such a harrowing day, this just felt too good, and he didn't want it to end. But he willed himself not to take it any further, and relished in the feeling of their mutual arousal, knowing that, when Gold finally allowed him to take that step, it was going to be one of the greatest nights of his life.


	17. The Holiday

An auction in Olivine City. Of all the places Silver thought he would be on Christmas Day, this was the absolute last one he would have thought of. But there was something there, a gift for Gold that would be so perfect that Silver absolutely could  _not_  pass up the chance to get it. It was a simple box, but inside were copious amounts of battle items that he knew Gold could eventually make use of if he ever decided to finally take on the Pokemon League. Everything from a Quick Claw to Mystic Water sat in that box, and Silver was determined to get it. He'd taken what was left over from the money he'd swiped from the vault, which equalled about 75 grand, fairly certain it would be enough to get the present. But now that he was here, he was discovering that he might have been too optimistic.

There was another man there, probably in his late 30s and obviously rich who kept outbidding Silver every time he would call out a number. It was infuriating, especially since the older man had  _no_  Pokeballs on his belt and was obviously only trying to get the battle items to complete some kind of collection. Every time he would outbid Silver, the redhead would shoot him a glare. The older man hardly seemed to notice, however, which only pissed Silver off more. It took at least a dozen rounds of outbidding him, but Silver eventually walked away with the box and all of its contents. He only had about 20 grand of the vault money leftover after that, but he decided it was worth it to see how happy he knew this present was going to make Gold.

He slipped the box into a duffle bag he'd brought with him and headed back to his house. Gold was supposed to be meeting him there, and they were supposed to leave, from there, and head off to New Bark Town. He found the front door locked, indicating he'd beaten Gold there, which was surprising considering how long the auction had run for. Thinking nothing of it, Silver flopped down onto the couch and turned on the TV. Immediately, he regretted the decision because there was literally nothing playing except Christmas specials, unsurprising considering what day it was.

Christmas, it had always been a day Silver dreaded. Seeing other people with their family and friends and having no one had always made Christmas nothing more than a day of loneliness. This time, though, as Christmas approached, he'd actually found himself looking forward to it. He grew excited at the prospect of finding the perfect gift for Gold and giving it to him. When Gold told him they would be having Christmas Dinner in New Bark Town, Silver's chest warmed at the thought of participating in such an occasion. It was a strange feeling. A year ago, he never would have pictured himself not only being part of something like this, but looking forward to it as well. Gold seemed to have thoroughly domesticated him, which was a hilarious thought.

Letting A Nightmare Before Christmas play on the TV, Silver sat by and waited for Gold, ready to get on with their day. However, after almost an hour and the movie drawing to a end, Gold still hadn't appeared. Wondering what was keeping him, Silver drew out his pokegear and called him. Gold did not pick up. He called a second and a third time, and still no answer. Slightly concerned, Silver checked his messages to see if Gold had sent him anything. There was a new message in his inbox, but it wasn't from Gold. From the Subject line, Silver could tell before he even opened it that it was from the Rockets who had been after him for the past year and a half. Opening the message, his eyes grew wide when he read,  _Keep an eye on Lover Boy, Silver. Merry Christmas._

Lover boy? Only one person had ever said that to him, and it had been the blue-eyed Rocket. He'd been talking about Gold. Silver's heart went instantly to racing. Gold wasn't picking up his phone, and the Rockets sent  _this_ kind of message? Fumbling through his contacts, Silver called up his father, who was supposed to be heading to New Bark Town as well.

The phone rang twice and Giovanni answered, "Silver?"

Too worried to mince words, Silver asked, "Dad! Have you heard from Gold or Miranda?"

Sounding a bit concerned, Giovanni said, "Not since yesterday. Why? What's wrong?"

That was as much as Silver could take. Keeping the pokegear clipped to his ear, he rushed across the room to grab his coat. "Gold's not picking up his phone, and Team Rocket just sent me a message about him."

Giovanni paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about what to say. By the time the old man finally spoke up, Silver had already walked out of the house and locked the door, the duffle bag still hanging from his shoulder.

"Calm down, Silver," Giovanni said. "Let's not jump to conclusions. This could be nothing more than an empty threat to try to scare you."

Silver released Crobat from its ball and responded, "Yeah, and what if it isn't?"

Giovanni didn't seem to have an answer, so Silver climbed on Crobat's back and said, "I'm heading to New Bark Town, Dad. Get your ass there."

He didn't wait for a response and hung up before Crobat took off into the sky and toward New Bark Town. Damn them. Damn Team Rocket. They couldn't even leave him alone today of all days. He was finally getting to celebrate Christmas the right way, and those greedy pricks had to go and stomp on it. Hoping Giovanni was right, Silver fed Crobat a berry and encouraged it to hurry. He had to know if Gold was okay.

* * *

When Silver arrived outside of Gold's house, he found the lights on and he heard people chatting inside. Thinking this was a good sign, he flung open the door and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gold standing in the living room with Miranda and Crystal sitting nearby on the couch. Silver slid the duffle bag off of his shoulder and gently sat it down beside the door as Gold approached him, a doofy grin on his face.

"Hey, Silver, you're-"

Silver didn't let him finish and took him by his wrist, yanking him out of the door. Silver closed it behind him and, Gold said, "Silver, what are you-"

He was interrupted again when Silver took Gold in his arms and pulled him into a tight hug. Thank god. It really had been nothing. In the back of his mind, Silver had always know the Rockets were still around, plotting and trying to come up with some way of getting their hands on the vault's contents. Hell, they'd been the ones to send Ariana. But things had been so peaceful in the months since then. They'd even managed to make it all the way to Christmas without a single incident involving the Rockets. That message, it had served to remind him that he needed to stay vigilant, even when it seemed like things were peaceful. He couldn't let himself get too comfortable.

But he knew he needed to explain to Gold what was going on, so he pulled away slightly and said, "I'm sorry, Gold. I just... I got a threatening message from Team Rocket. Then you never showed up at my house, and you weren't picking up your phone, so..."

Gold's eyes went wide and he said, "But, I sent you a message telling you I was coming home."

Silver raised an eyebrow in confusion, knowing for a fact he'd received no such message. Gold's hand dove into his pocket and he drew out his pokegear before flipping to his messages. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped after he took a good look at the screen.

His cheeks went slightly red, and Silver saw the regret behind his eyes when he said, "Oh god, I... I didn't hit send. I typed it out and everything, but... I'm so sorry, Silver."

Silver shook his head and pulled Gold back in for another hug. This time, Gold hugged back, and kissed Silver on the temple. As frightened as he'd been, Silver was glad this all turned out to be nothing more than a misunderstanding. He'd rather be overreacting to nothing than have to deal with something actually being wrong.

He gently nudged Gold's head back and gave him a chaste kiss before saying, "It's okay. I was just worried."

Gold sighed. "I can imagine. I would've been too."

It was only in that moment, when Silver saw Gold's breaths in the air, that he realized he'd yanked Gold out into the cold without his jacket. His arms were exposed, and Silver could see him shivering slightly, though he was clearly avoiding complaining about it due to Silver's frantic actions.

Feeling like an idiot, Silver said, "Come on, let's get inside before you freeze."

Gold was more than happy to oblige and followed Silver inside. Miranda and Crystal either didn't notice them walk back inside or were ignoring them because the two women were engaged in a very intense game of rummy. Gold started walking toward them while Silver stripped off his jacket and hung it by the door. He glanced down and saw the duffle bag containing Gold's present still sitting where he'd left it, so he picked it up and headed to Gold's bedroom, where he knew wrapping paper and tape were being kept.

Only when he laid the present out on Gold's desk with the paper and the tape did the realization hit him... He had no idea how to do this. He'd never wrapped a present before in his life. His cheeks burned with embarrassment as he hopelessly fumbled with the paper. By the time he finished, the gift looked less like a gift and more like a jumbled mess of tape and paper. Hoping Gold wouldn't laugh at him too hard, he brought the present back downstairs. At the same time, Giovanni walked into the house, finally having arrived.

Silver met his eyes and the old man glanced over at Gold before looking back at Silver with a look that said, "I told you so." Silver half smiled and laughed at himself, knowing that his overreaction would probably be the subject of several jokes in the future. After Silver placed Gold's gift with the others, Miranda called everyone into the dining room for dinner. As soon as Silver saw the spread of food, his mouth started watering. Baked ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans, stuffing, and all other manner of delicious foods covered the table. He took a seat next to Gold and everyone started digging in.

The smalltalk started with Miranda asking Crystal about how her job in Alola was going, but Silver didn't hear much of what was said, far too distracted by the food. Miranda truly was a wizard in the kitchen. He couldn't remember ever having a meal like this in his entire life.

As he was tackling the baked ham, he heard Miranda say, "Well, Gold, when do you plan on finally taking on the Pokemon League?"

That subject actually piqued Silver's interest, so he turned to Gold, whose mouth was currently full of potatoes. Off to the side of his lips was a bit of gravy, and Silver chuckled silently before reaching his thumb out and wiping it away. Gold glanced at him, quickly swallowed his food, and answered, "I, uh... hadn't really thought about it."

Miranda took a drink of her water. "Well, maybe you should. The treatment is helping, so there's no longer any reason for you to spend so much of your time cooped up in this house with me."

She then turned her gaze to Silver and winked at him. He grinned back. He knew that, over the past several months, Miranda had been trying to convince Gold to spend more time with him. She mentioned it almost every time Silver saw her. While Silver knew he should tell her to ease up on Gold, he couldn't because, were Miranda not still sick, Silver would have already asked Gold to move in with him. He'd become so used to Gold being in his house, that the days Gold wasn't there were lonely.

Luckily, Gold didn't seem to notice the brief exchange between him and Miranda and said, "I'm a little rusty. I haven't had a proper battle since Claire."

Silver was taken aback by that statement. Gold truly hadn't participated in a real Pokemon battle since defeating Claire? After seeing how quickly Gold progressed into the powerful trainer he was, it was unthinkable to Silver that Gold would go for such a long time without battling. But if he was truly concerned that he wouldn't do well due to his long hiatus, Silver was prepared to help him.

He elbowed Gold gently and said, "There's three Pokemon trainers sitting at the table with you, you numbskull. You could just ask."

Crystal seemed to agree with him as she said, "Yeah. I'll help however I can, but it'll have to be before I head back to Alola, so if you wanna do this, you'd best do it soon."

Glancing over at his father, Silver saw the old man nod in the affirmative, confirming that he, too, would be happy to help Gold train. Silver saw Gold's face go slightly red, and he grinned happily when he said, "Well, I suppose it's probably time I got back in the game."

Silver could sense a collective satisfaction wash over everyone sitting at the table. Silver knew as well as any of them that Gold's refusal to take on the Pokemon League had been due to his worrying over Miranda. It was just one more thing about his life that had to be put on hold due to the cancer. But now, with Miranda on the treatment, Gold no longer had to be so one-track-minded. He could finally shift some of his focus toward living his own life, something Silver had desperately wanted for him. The current state of things was exhausting to all parties, but none more so than Gold himself, who was being pulled in two directions. And Silver knew this, which was why he tried not to pressure Gold into spending any extra time with him. He didn't want to pull Gold any harder than he already was.

After everyone finished their food, Gold and Silver helped Miranda get everything cleaned up. As Silver expected, Giovanni could not stay any longer, still wary about remaining in one place for too long. Silver didn't mind, though. Just being able to spend any sort of time with his father on Christmas was already more than he'd gotten in years. So he felt no bitterness when he hugged his father and said farewell.

Once Giovanni left, Gold and Silver both went to the Christmas tree to retrieve the presents they'd gotten for each other. The two of them took a seat on the couch and Silver held his gift out to Gold first. Silver saw the amusement appear on Gold's face at the sight of the sloppily-wrapped gift, but, thankfully, there was no laugh to go along with it. Gold enthusiastically tore the paper and opened the box. His eyes grew wide at the sight of the contents within, and he looked at Silver with utter shock.

"Where did you get all of these?" he asked in wonder.

Deciding it would probably be a bad idea to tell Gold how much he'd spent on the gift, Silver answered, "Last minute Christmas auction. No big deal."

Gold started picking through the box to look at the battle items as he said, "You know, this present makes me think you and Mom were colluding to get me into the Pokemon League."

Silver grinned. No such collusion had happened, but he went along with Gold's joke regardless and said, "You caught us. We had a black market deal set up with the auctioneer and everything."

Gold laughed in response and closed the lid to the box before saying, "Thanks."

He then handed a wrapped gift to Silver, and his face went slightly red when he said, "Well now your gift seems a little bit lackluster in comparison."

Silver was certain that nothing Gold could give him would ever be lackluster, but he kept such mushy thoughts to himself as he peeled the paper away. It was a picture frame, and when he turned it over, his chest warmed at the sight of the picture within. It had been taken on the last barbecue Miranda had put together for the fall. Pictured was Gold, Silver, Miranda, Giovanni, Crystal, Vanessa, and Annie with Houndour lying at their feet. Silver recalled Miranda asking Professor Elm to take the photo, but he hadn't even thought about having the picture framed.

"You don't have any photos in your house," Gold said. "So I thought you could use one."

Silver half-smiled and draped his arm over Gold's shoulders before kissing him lightly on the temple. Family photos or even photos with friends hadn't exactly been a staple of Silver's life, but this was just one more attempt, by Gold, to erase the loneliness of Silver's past.

Leaning his forehead against the side of Gold's, Silver said, "It's not lackluster."

He saw the heat appear in Gold's cheeks, and the younger man smiled as he said, "Well... good then."

Silver was about to tease Gold about his apparent embarrassment when footsteps approaching from behind them caught his attention. Silver turned his head to see Miranda standing behind them holding what appeared to be a stick with a string attached to the end. Dangling from the string was a green, leafy plant Silver recognized very well: mistletoe. The mischievous grin on her face told him that she was purposefully holding the plant above his and Gold's heads. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly as he nudged Gold and pointed up, showing Gold what she was doing.

Gold's eyes followed the string and the stick until they landed on Miranda. His eyebrows ran slightly together and he said, "Mom, come on, really?"

She shrugged. "Really."

Gold rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by her actions, and said, "You've been watching too much Hallmark channel."

She wasn't backing down, however, and said, "Maybe, but it's still mistletoe."

Gold apparently had no intention of giving in either as he stood firm and said, "This is stupid."

Silver had to agree. It  _was_  a bit silly. But when he looked at the excitement on Miranda's face, it also seemed like a small bone to throw her. It  _was_  Christmas Day, and she'd been almost as excited about the two of them becoming a couple as they were. And if this small gesture would make her happy, Silver decided he wouldn't mind it. Using the hand he still had on Gold's shoulder, he took Gold by the back of his head and pulled him in. Before the younger man could protest, Silver closed their lips together. If Gold had had any thoughts of resisting, he didn't show it as he went along with the kiss without a fuss.

However, a clicking sound grabbed the attention of both men, and when they turned to see where it came from, Silver saw Crystal standing nearby with a tablet in her hands. As Gold's eyes flared, Silver looked over his shoulder at Miranda, whose face was still painted with a sly grin. So that had been her plan? To get a picture of them mid-kiss? Gold had since launched himself off the couch and started chasing Crystal through the house, evidently trying to snatch the tablet away from her. Silver laughed at the two of them as they bounded back and forth through the rooms, shouting at each other every few seconds.

With a smug look of satisfaction on her face, Miranda took a seat on the couch next to Silver. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Even if he gets it away from her, she's already sent the picture to my tablet, so it won't matter."

Silver grinned and shook his head before raising his arm and wrapping it around her shoulders, allowing her to snuggle in closer. He felt the silkiness of her headscarf against the side of his neck, and she sighed heavily. No doubt she was exhausted. This had been quite the long day, especially for someone still battling cancer.

"Are you alright?" Silver asked her.

She gently placed a hand against his chest and said, "I'm wonderful, dear. This is probably the best Christmas we've had in years."

He could tell she meant it, too. And he had no doubts as to why. He'd never experienced the loss of a family member like she had, but he could imagine that losing them would make holidays difficult at best and painful at worst. He tightened his grip on her slightly, hoping the tighter hug might make her feel better.

He could hear the contentment in her voice when she said, "I'm glad you're here, Silver."

The feeling was mutual, so he said, "Me too."

A bright smile curled on her lips. "I don't just mean "here" for Christmas. I mean "here" in our lives. I know things have improved in your own life since you started coming around, but you don't realize how much better things have gotten for me and Gold as well."

He was used to Miranda making gushy speeches like this by now, but there was something to her voice, something that he couldn't quite place, that was making him uncomfortable. He turned his head to look down at her and said, "Miranda, what are you-?"

"I put on a brave face, Silver," she interrupted. "but was just as scared as anyone else would be in my situation, and I was twice as afraid when I thought I was going to die and Gold would be alone. But I don't have to worry about that anymore."

Okay, now he was  _really_  concerned. This conversation, he did  _not_  like where it was headed. His eyes narrowed and his voice was stern when he asked, "Why are you talking like this all of a sudden?"

She maintained the smile on her face. "You and I both know that this treatment might not work."

There it was: the confirmation. He'd thought she was saying all of this as some kind of insurance in case she didn't make it. Now he knew for sure. Unwilling to entertain the notion, he snarled, "Shut up."

"Silver," she said persistently, "I need to say this. I-"

"No!" he snapped. "I don't want to hear it."

And he didn't want to. He couldn't hear such things from her. Not now. Not ever. This woman, there had never been a single person in his life to accept him as quickly as she did. She never once judged him, and she was there for him after Ariana, when he'd needed the comfort of a mother more than anything. She'd always treated him like he was her own son, so he hadn't been able to stop himself from basically adopting her as his own mother. So for her to sit there and try to tell him that she might die was too much. He wouldn't stand for it.

He leaned his head against the top of hers and said, "You're gonna beat this fucking cancer, and you're gonna die a shriveled up old lady. You got that?"

In response, one of her hands slid across his lap and gripped onto his free hand. She gently brought the hand up to her lips and said, "You really are  _good_ , Silver."

He wasn't sure he would ever be able to define himself as "good," but he wasn't gonna bother arguing semantics with her. As long as he could steer the conversation away from what was just being discussed, he was happy. Trying to keep the desperation from his voice, he said, "You're not allowed to talk about dying anymore, okay?"

She squeezed the hand she was holding, "All right."

He wasn't sure if she meant it or not, but the agreement calmed him anyway. He didn't know if it was the holiday spirit, or if he'd actually intended to say it, but his chest welled with an unfamiliar warmth and he said, "I love you."

Those words. Five years ago, he never could have imagined himself saying those words to anyone, but they were becoming easier and easier to say. He knew it was because of the closeness he'd gained with Gold and Miranda, but it was still strange to think about.

As he expected she would, Miranda raised a hand up to brush against his cheek before saying, "I love you too, dear."

He knew she did without her having to say it, but it was still nice to hear. The two of them probably would have kept sitting together for the rest of the night if Gold hadn't rushed back into the room with a smug look of accomplishment painting his features and a tablet in his hand. Miranda looked between Gold and Silver before winking and standing from the couch. Gold was quick to take her place, and Silver was more than tempted to tell him that all of his efforts had been for naught. He decided, though, that it would be a lot funnier to let Miranda frame the picture and show it to Gold later.

So Silver kept his mouth shut as he and Gold settled in to watch what he was certain was the 18th showing of A Christmas Story playing on the TV. He always had enjoyed making fun of the film.

* * *

They had been on Gold's mind all day: the words Silver had said to him the morning before Ariana had shown up.

 _Remember how I said it's difficult to hold back_?

Silver had assured him that he didn't need to feel pressured because of that, and he'd heeded Silver's words. Now, though, it wasn't pressure he'd been feeling, it was an itch. Silver had honored Gold's desire to take it slow to the nth degree, never taking any of their heated moments beyond a kiss and chaste touches, all the while showing a steadfast restraint. But now, after several months of being together, Gold wanted to see Silver let loose some of that restraint. He wanted to see  _just_  how much Silver desired him. And what better day to give Silver a little bit more than he'd been giving him in the past? Gold  _had_  wanted this Christmas to be extra memorable, after all.

So when it came time to go to sleep, Gold disappeared into the bathroom while Silver climbed into bed. Gold had brought with him his tightest pair of black boxer-briefs, and after using the toilet, he changed into them. He entered the bedroom to find Silver lying on his back. As soon as the bedroom door clicked closed, Silver's eyes fell on him, and Gold could tell immediately that the garment he'd changed into was having the desired effect. Silver's eyes were devouring him, but Gold could also see that there was a shimmer of knowing behind his gaze. When Gold crawled onto his side of the bed, he received the very reaction he'd been hoping for when Silver reached out and took him by the back of his head.

The redhead's fingers entangled in Gold's hair as he whispered, "Subtlety isn't your strong suit, is it?"

Silver started to pull Gold down, and Gold smirked as he said, "What can I say? Christmas isn't over yet."

He saw Silver smirk before their lips slotted together and the redhead brought his other hand up to press into Gold's back. Gold had assumed that, one day, kissing Silver might lose some of its luster. If something is done enough times, it eventually becomes habitual, or at least that's what he'd thought. But it was becoming abundantly clear that that was never going to happen, no matter how many times they delved into each other's mouths.

Silver's tongue pushing past his lips caused a moan to escape from Gold's throat, and his hand moved to do what his mind had been contemplating all day. He didn't want to overwhelm Silver by reaching directly for the bulge that was pressing against the redhead's boxers, so he began by slowly stroking his chest. He heard Silver's groan of approval, which gave him the confidence to move his hand down. Gold's own bulge twitched when he felt Silver's abs under his palm, and it took every ounce of willpower he had to resist replacing that palm with his lips and tongue. He could feel saliva starting to slip out of the sides of Silver's mouth due to their messy kissing, and that was when he made his move. His three middle fingers slipped under the waistband on Silver's boxers, and, for about a second, Gold's excitement shot through the roof.

That excitement was quickly quelled, however, when Silver, noticing what Gold was doing, took him by the wrist and said, "Gold, what are you...?"

Gold's cheeks burned, and his confidence dropped to zero when he saw the utter bafflement on Silver's face. He moved his hand out of Silver's boxers and said, "Sorry."

Silver kept a tight grip on Gold's wrist, however, and said, "You don't need to apologize. It's just... you were the one who said you didn't want to rush things."

The spark was reignited at Silver's response. Silver wasn't stopping him because he didn't want it. He was stopping him because he was trying to maintain his composure, the  _very_ composure Gold was trying to break. Gold grinned slyly, leaned in so that his lips were next to Silver's ear, and whispered, "I wasn't planning on going all the way."

Without further warning, Gold lowered his lips to where he knew was the most sensitive part of Silver's neck, and started smothering it in hungry kisses. Like he always did, Silver moaned lightly at the sensation, and his grip on Gold's wrist loosened. Gold had always loved how quickly Silver would fall to pieces when his neck was teased, and it was a particularly big turn-on considering what Gold had planned next. Hoping Silver wouldn't stop him again, Gold's hand slipped back inside of Silver's boxers, and he slowly, tantalizingly, let his fingers brush against the hot, hard member he found there. Another deep moan came bellowing from Silver, followed by what Gold could only describe as a flinch. At first, Gold thought the flinch might just have been from the shock of the sudden stimulation, but when he saw the discomfort on Silver's face he knew it wasn't. Something was wrong.

Moving his hand away from Silver's throbbing organ, Gold said, "Do you really not want this?"

A fear that hadn't plagued Gold in a very long time shot to the forefront of his mind, and his hands began to tremble. He'd insisted that they take things slow. Silver had agreed, and he seemed to be okay with it. But because of Gold's insistence on going slow, they'd done very little apart from kissing. Gold was painfully aware that Silver had only been with women before him. Had Gold's insistence on them taking it slow resulted in Silver only just now realizing that he couldn't handle being touched by a man? The thought made Gold's chest wrench, and he thought he might lose his breath. As hard as he tried to keep the fear and devastation from appearing on his face, he knew he hadn't succeeded when Silver's gaze grew grave, and he placed a hand gently against Gold's cheek.

Silver's voice was soft and soothing when he said, "It's not that. I  _do_  want this. It's just..."

Silver leaned his head back onto the pillow and stared at the ceiling for what seemed, to Gold, an eternity. He felt slightly better knowing that Silver wanted to be touched, but this reaction was still very troublesome.

Silver kept his eyes trained on the ceiling for several more seconds before he seemed to figure out what he wanted to say. "You know I've been with a lot of women."

A fact Gold didn't like being reminded of, but Gold nodded anyway, curious to know where this was going. Silver's cheeks were turning a deep shade of red when he went on, "The whole time I was with them... It was like I was a smoker."

That last sentence was so unexpected and seemed so random that Gold couldn't stop himself from laughing a bit before saying, "What?"

Silver's cheeks grew darker, and Gold immediately regretted laughing. This was clearly something serious, and Silver needed him to take it seriously. So he banished all amusement from his face and lay on his side, propping his head up with his elbow and trying to show Silver he was listening.

Silver exhaled heavily before saying, "When a smoker eats food, it tastes good, right? Nothing seems out of the ordinary. But then, when that same person stops smoking, and they take a bite of their food, suddenly it tastes amazing because they aren't burning their taste buds off anymore. They just... didn't know what they were missing before because they didn't know any better."

All of the fear, worry, and doubts in Gold's mind vanished as the implications of what Silver had just said really sunk in. It was not the way Gold would have described what Silver was feeling, but the metaphor had done its job, and now Gold thought he understood.

Just to be certain, though, he said, "Silver, are you telling me that you've been gay your whole life and you just never knew?"

Silver didn't answer right away, but his silence combined with the pained look in his eyes told Gold that he'd hit the nail on the head. How? It seemed unfathomable to Gold that a person could go their entire lives without realizing their own sexuality. He'd known plenty of gay men who had lived in denial, but never one who was completely clueless.

Hoping Silver wouldn't take offense, Gold said, "I don't understand how that's possible. All it took for me was looking at a guy and realizing I liked what I saw, and then also realizing I didn't feel that way when I looked at a woman."

Silver grinned warmly after that, and Gold's anxiety at the situation lessened in response. Turning on his side, Silver ran his hand across Gold's neck and rested it on his chest before saying, "There's a big difference between you and me."

Silver's eyes narrowed, and his voice deepened slightly when he said, "As long as I've known you, you've never put yourself in a box. But me... for years I had this ideal vision for myself of what I was  _supposed_  to be. Anything outside of that vision, I shut down. And, well... sleeping with men wasn't part of the vision."

Gold raised an eyebrow. "But sleeping with women  _was_?"

Silver shrugged. "I was a kid, Gold, a stupid, closed-minded kid. In my mind, I was a man, and men sleep with women."

The last few words spat from Silver's lips like they made him sick. Afterwards, though, the red returned to his cheeks, and Gold saw the nervousness from before reemerge. Silver seemed to intentionally avoid Gold's eyes when he said, "Even when I was sleeping with those women, I didn't feel anything. My body just kinda went through the motions. But you... you barely even touched me and..."

He seemed to lose the ability to finish the sentence. His face went darker and he rolled onto his back before covering his eyes with his hand. All of the pieces fell into place in Gold's mind and Silver's reaction to being touched finally made complete sense. Silver, a gay man, had spent his entire life only sleeping with women, which meant he'd only ever experienced sex that felt completely wrong. He just never knew why. Now, being touched by a man, he was finally experiencing what felt  _right_ , which was probably overwhelming to say the least.

The realization lit a whole new fire underneath Gold and he scooted closer to Silver. The thought of being the first man to touch Silver as well as the first person to give him a truly enjoyable sexual experience was enough to bring back the erection that had been lost to Gold earlier. Silver had claimed he wasn't "some 16-year old virgin." Well, he might not have been sixteen, but he was definitely a virgin.

Gold leaned in closer, placed his hand on Silver's chest, and whispered, "Well then that's all the more reason we need to do this."

Silver's eyes met his, and the redhead's expression was dazed when he said, "What?"

He knew Silver was still nervous, but the nervousness only made Silver even more adorable. Gold kissed him deeply before pulling back and using an intentionally sultry voice to say, "Well if what you're saying is true, I can't just leave you alone until we decide to go all the way. You won't last. And you're the one who has to, not me."

Silver's eyes grew slightly wider as Gold threw his leg over Silver and straddled him. Gold smirked when he felt Silver spring back to attention. Feeling that blazing hot erection pressing against him had always been amazing, but with as turned on as he was in those moments, the sensation was increased ten fold. Leaning back over Silver, Gold went right back to attacking the same sensitive spot on his neck. Only this time, he added his tongue into the mix, swirling it across the skin and causing Silver to moan again. Knowing that it drove the redhead equally as crazy, Gold intentionally breathed against his neck at the same time, resulting in Silver's whole body shuddering.

Not stopping his attack on Silver's neck, Gold started sliding his hand back down toward the stiff member currently trying to poke its way out of the front of Silver's boxers. When Gold's hand reached the waistband, he pulled the opening to Silver's boxers apart and felt his heart start to pound harder when the aching member sprang out. Not wanting to waste any more time, Gold curled his fingers around it. The sound that Silver made as soon as he felt the touch sent goosebumps over every inch of Gold's body and drew a feeling out of him he'd never experienced before. Having Silver in his control like this, knowing he was the one bringing him so much pleasure, it brought with it a high Gold hadn't foreseen. But now that he'd felt it, he wanted more, so he began gentle yet quick strokes.

Silver's entire body wound up in an instant, and Gold could hear that he was muffling his moans by closing his lips together. Wanting to see Silver's expression, Gold finally released the redhead's neck and he thought  _he_  might be the one to lose  _his_  composure first when he saw the absolute bliss on Silver's face. What a fool he'd been before, to be so worried about Silver not wanting this. Silver's face, as well as the rest of his body, seemed to scream aloud how much he wanted it.

But Gold wasn't finished yet. It wouldn't be a proper Christmas gift if he finished Silver this way. No. He wanted to absolutely blow the redhead's mind, so he did as he wanted to do earlier, and lowered his lips to the trembling skin on Silver's abs. As expected, Silver's hips instinctively raised off the bed, which made the erection inside of Gold's briefs throb painfully. But he ignored his own arousal. Tonight was about Silver, and Gold would not allow himself to become distracted. After letting his tongue run teasingly over Silver's abs for a few more seconds, he lowered his head even more and opened his mouth. He felt the tension in Silver's body increase when he breathed out against the beautifully pink member in front of him before sliding it into his mouth.

Silver's efforts to muffle his moans seemed to leave his mind as he let out a sound almost as shameful as the one Gold had made the first night they'd slept in this room. Precum dripped out of Silver and onto Gold's tongue, and the temptation to touch himself had never been stronger. More. He wanted to taste more of it. Having Silver erupt in his mouth would be the perfect end to this already stupefying experience. Taking his hand away from the base, Gold raised his soft palate and slowly slid the rest of Silver into his mouth until he could feel hair tickling his nose. Silver's body wound tighter than it ever had as Gold started moving his head up and down at a steady pace. His throat adjusted to Silver's girth quickly, and it wasn't long before the room was filled with the lewd sound of Gold's advances as well as Silver's moans and grunts.

This experience, it was so much different than what Gold was accustomed to. With Anthony, using his mouth had been a chore at best and a punishment at worst. But this... this was turning him on so much that he thought he might crack in two from the tension in his own body. Silver's hot, twitching member sliding across his tongue felt good, and the periodic spurts of precum tasted good. Everything about this was just so...  _good_.

As the seconds ticked by, Gold started to feel it, the extra engorging of Silver's member that let him know he was coming up on his release. Silver obviously noticed too as Gold felt the redhead's hand slide into his hair before he said, "G-Gold, you have to move. I'm gonna-"

Gold interrupted him by tightening his mouth around Silver's girth and holding tightly onto Silver's hips, hoping to get across that he would  _not_  be moved. Gold heard Silver try to voice another warning, but the words came out as gibberish. Gold's chest swelled with pride at knowing Silver was feeling so good that he'd lost the capacity for clear speech. And that pride drove him to speed up his advance. Silver's hand, that was still sitting on the back of Gold's head, balled into a fist. Gold felt the tug against his scalp at the same time he heard Silver start to release one heavy breath after another. With the obviously deliberate move of pushing his lower back into the mattress, Silver was signaling to Gold what he already knew. Gold's throat rumbled with a moan as Silver shot off in his mouth. The abundance of cum was, at first, overwhelming, but Gold didn't allow himself to gag. He was  _not_  about to kill the mood now, not when Silver's moans and body language were making it so obvious that he was on cloud nine.

He swallowed and lapped at the softening member, making sure to clean every drop of ejaculate off of Silver before he raised his head. Their eyes met, and the absolute adoration present on Silver's face was enough to make Gold's whole body melt into a puddle. The hand that was still gripping his hair pushed against the back of his head while Silver's other hand gripped his bicep and pulled at him. Still weak from being looked at in such a tender way, Gold easily yielded to Silver as he led him into a hungry kiss that banished the remainder of Gold's strength. Silver seemed more than willing to take over, however, as he nudged Gold onto his back and swapped their positions without parting their lips. Gold had no clue how long the kiss went on for, his mind far too clouded by how painfully aroused he still was.

The clouds, however, were cleared as soon as he felt Silver's hand start to move down his torso in the same way his had moved down Silver's. When Silver's fingertips lifted the waistband of his boxer briefs, Gold yanked his lips away and said, "Silver, you don't have to do that."

The redhead looked down at him with a heavy gaze when he said, "I think you've known me long enough to know that I don't do anything unless I  _want_  to."

Gold's chest fluttered uncontrollably as Silver brought his lips next to his ear and whispered, "Unless you  _want_  me to stop."

The chill that ran through Gold's body at Silver's words nearly drove him to shout at Silver to keep going, but he somehow maintained his presence of mind enough to simply shake his head and mumble, "No... don't stop."

He hadn't planned on asking Silver to relieve the tension that had built up in his body over the past several minutes, but he wasn't about to turn Silver down if he was offering. Not only was he far too overwhelmed by Silver's now dominating presence, but he was so desperate for his own release he could barely stand it. So he made no further objections as Silver yanked the tight boxer briefs down and freed his painfully hard erection from its confines. Disappointingly, though, the redhead didn't grip him right away and instead he lowered his mouth down to Gold's chest and did something Gold wasn't expecting. Silver dragged his tongue over one of Gold's exposed nipples before closing his lips around it and sucking it into his mouth. While unexpected, Gold couldn't deny that it felt good, so he said nothing and allowed Silver to continue.

But, even after what felt like an hour, Silver still didn't stop. He'd moved back and forth between both of Gold's nipples several times, but he was leaving Gold's still unsatisfied member completely abandoned. And with every further flick of his tongue, Silver only piled onto Gold's already wild need for relief. Everyone has fetishes, and it seemed Gold had found one of Silver's as the redhead looked to be utterly fascinated with nipples. Had getting Silver off not left Gold in such a wound up state, the teasing might have been nice, but at the moment it was more painful than anything. He wanted to feel Silver's hand on him, to feel his fingers inside of him. He wanted to lose his mind from Silver's touch just as the redhead had from his.

Unable to hold back his frustration any longer, Gold groaned, "Silver..."

Silver's continued caresses were making speech difficult, but luckily the redhead stopped and raised his head. He stared down at Gold with the same heavy, seductive look he'd given him earlier and said, "I know."

Finally, after Gold had to practically beg, Silver reached down and grasped Gold's leaking erection. Gold gasped and his hips raised absent his own will when Silver began stroking him. But, as if trying to drive Gold absolutely mad, Silver kept his strokes short and slow, giving Gold just enough stimulation to pile on more pleasure, but not enough to bring him to the brink. Was this another of Silver's fetishes? Was he also a closet sadist who enjoyed teasing his partner relentlessly before letting them have relief? He wasn't sure, but he knew he couldn't take this any longer.

His pride having completely fallen to the wayside, he begged, "Silver, please. I can't..."

That was, apparently, exactly what Silver wanted to hear as he smirked before raising two of the fingers on his free hand up to his lips. Gold saw him pool saliva at the front of his mouth and delve his fingers into it. Gold's eyes followed him with obscene fascination as he pulled the now lubricated fingers from his lips and lowered them to Gold's opening. With a tenderness Gold was sure only Silver could exhibit, he slowly inserted his middle finger, which stripped Gold of his ability to keep his eyes on Silver. His head flew back against the pillow, and the moan that came bellowing from him would have awakened a Snorlax from its sleep. Apparently pleased with this turn of events, Silver began moving his finger in and out gently. Gold forced himself to relax and let his body open up for Silver, and before long, Gold felt the second finger start to nudge its way in next to the first.

The insertion of the second finger was slower, and Gold's chest fluttered for the second time at the thought of how far out of his way Silver was going to avoid hurting him. By the time the second finger had sheathed itself completely inside, Gold's still-throbbing erection was already ready to burst in Silver's hand. So when Silver not only started moving both of those fingers but also curled them slightly upward  _and_  increased the pace of his stroking on Gold's member, Gold lost the last of his sanity. The buildup had been slow, but the release, he found, was coming on far faster than he ever anticipated. Like a guitar string pulled too tightly, Gold's body seemed to snap as his long-awaited orgasm finally wracked him and his seed sprayed out onto his own abs. He tried to turn his head into the pillow to avoid releasing a far louder cry than the last one, but Silver leaned forward and closed their lips together. This final advance by Silver made Gold unable to control his voice and he released the sound into Silver's mouth. Overwhelmed with so much stimulation, Gold's mind remained an absolute mess until Silver's stroking slowed to a halt and his fingers slid out.

Silver kept their lips locked in the sloppy kiss as Gold rode out the rest of the post-orgasm high. When their lips finally did come apart, Gold saw a greater level of satisfaction in Silver's eyes that had been present even after his own orgasm, along with the adoration that had yet to leave his gaze.

Silver's lips came down onto Gold's forehead before he said, "You're amazing."

At the sound of those words, Gold was suddenly grateful that his orgasm had robbed him of his ability to swoon any more that night. Silver rolled off of Gold and reached over onto the nearby nightstand to hand Gold the box of tissues he kept nearby, which reminded Gold about the mess he'd made all over himself. Not that he was worried about it. The pleasurable experience far outweighed the annoyance of the cleanup.

After he finished cleaning himself off, he turned on his side to face Silver and said, " _I'm_  amazing? What about  _you_? Are you sure you've never been with a guy?"

He was joking, of course, but it  _was_  baffling to him that Silver knew exactly the spot to reach for with his fingers when, by his own admission, he'd never slept with a man. Gold had expected to have to guide him toward what to do, but, clearly, Silver hadn't needed help.

Silver shrugged and said, "It's not that much different than being with a woman. If anything, this is easier."

Having absolutely zero experience with the subject, Gold asked, "Really?"

Silver sighed with obvious exasperation, "Yeah. Absolutely nothing can prepare you for the complexity involved in trying to get a woman off."

Gold laughed as much as he could with how drained he currently was, and he found he was very glad that he'd been born gay. He'd already had plenty of complication in his life. He didn't need any more.

But, now that both of them were satisfied, he had something to ask Silver, a question that he hoped beyond hope that he would say yes to. He scooted closer to Silver and snuggled into his usual spot. With his ear pressed to Silver's chest, he could hear that the redhead's heartbeat had yet to fully slow down. He imagined his own heartbeat wasn't too far behind.

Tracing gentle circles on the skin between Silver's pecs, Gold asked, "Silver, when I go to the Pokemon League, will you come with me?"

Silver looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. "You want me to take on the Pokemon League? I think we both know I wouldn't stand a chance."

Gold shook his head, and, hoping he wouldn't come off too clingy, said, "No, I don't expect you to compete. I just want you there... with me."

He felt silly for asking Silver for such a thing. He knew Silver hated missing work, and if he came with him to the Indigo Plateau, he would have to take at least three days off. The trek through Victory Road was not going to be an easy one, after all.

"I'm okay with it," Silver answered. "But will they even let me in to watch you battle?"

Gold had looked into such possibilities already, so he said, "No, but they always live record the battles of every challenger and play it on a TV inside. You can watch from there."

That answer seemingly satisfied Silver as his lips curled into a small smile. He tightened his grip on Gold a little and kissed him on his temple before saying, "Alright, but you'd better not lose."

Gold grinned. What a perfectly Silver way of saying "good luck." He snuggled in closer to Silver and turned his head to place a kiss on his chest. Silver's fingers started to trail up and down Gold's bare back, and the soothing feeling was quickly making Gold's eyelids heavy.

So, before he slipped off into sleep, he closed his eyes and muttered, "Goodnight, Silver."

He felt Silver's cheek lean against the top of his head. "Goodnight, Gold."


	18. The Cliff

The day Gold was meant to challenge the Pokemon League had been set for the middle of January. The weather was still frigid, but Gold had insisted that he wanted the nearest date he could get. Not that Silver minded. The cold meant that the trek up Victory Road might be a little less stressful due to the lower population of people who were likely to be there wanting to battle. Gold had been worried about where they were going to sleep while they were up there because most of the hotels near the Indigo Plateau were only open during the summer. Thankfully, though, Giovanni had a solution.

He informed them both about a log cabin he had built near the Indigo Plateau years ago. He very often used it when he needed to hide from the police or Team Rocket. He assured them that he would have the electricity turned on in the cabin before the two of them needed to use it. They only needed to bring food and other bare necessities as the cabin was fully stocked with household items. So by the time the day arrived for the two of them to leave, Gold and Silver were thoroughly prepared. Between Silver, Giovanni, and Crystal, helping him train, Gold had assured Silver he was confident enough in himself and his Pokemon to take on the challenge.

On the morning they were meant to depart, Silver awoke to find Gold already out of bed and putting his clothes on a half hour before the alarm was supposed to go off. Silver smiled at his lover's enthusiasm and crawled out of bed as well, switching off the alarm clock as he did so. Gold was buttoning his jeans when Silver approached and captured him in an embrace from behind. Silver's hands rested against Gold's bare abdomen and he placed a kiss on Gold's shoulder.

Gold shivered a bit and said, "Your hands are cold."

Taking this as the perfect opportunity to prank him, Silver quickly shoved both of his hands down the front of Gold's jeans and into his boxers as he said, "Really?"

Gold's whole body flinched from the sudden introduction of the cold hands to the warm flesh under his clothes. He quickly spun around, forcing Silver to move his hands, shoved the redhead back, and said, "Asshole!"

Still slightly drowsy, Silver lost his footing from Gold shoving him and toppled onto the still-warm bed. He laughed and was about to make a joke about his own clumsiness when he was suddenly set upon by Gold who took him by his hands and pinned them over his head.

Silver, slightly turned on by this turn of events, smirked up at Gold and said, "You never mentioned you were into bondage. Should I buy you some fuzzy pink handcuffs?"

Gold rolled his eyes and leaned in, silencing Silver with a kiss. Silver curled his fingers around the hands currently holding his and pushed back against the kiss. Before things could get too heated, however, both of them heard the bedroom door open, followed by Miranda saying, "Breakfast is ready you two- Oh my!"

Silver saw Gold's face go redder than it ever had, and the redhead just barely stopped himself from bursting into laughter. Miranda turned her head and said, "Well, don't let me interrupt," before walking away.

The embarrassed look on Gold's face remained, and he groaned before saying, "Mood, officially killed."

Gold then released Silver's hands and crawled out of the bed. Silver didn't think there was anything in the world that could put him "out of the mood," but if Gold was ready to get their day started, he wasn't going to argue and followed the younger man's lead. The two of them headed downstairs, where they found the dining room table covered with breakfast items and Miranda sitting down, preparing her own plate.

The two of them joined her, and when they all had their plates prepared, Miranda turned to Gold and asked, "Are you  _sure_  you two have everything you need? Silver mentioned the trip might be tough."

Gold grinned at her. "Weren't you the one who brought this whole thing up again?"

Miranda's face soured a bit. "Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to worry. I remember when your father attempted Victory Road. It wasn't pretty."

Silver's eyes went wide. Wait. Gold had never mentioned that his dad was even a trainer, much less that he tried to take on the League. He was about to ask Gold why he hadn't brought this up before when he saw an equally baffled look on Gold's face. Did that mean...?

Gold confirmed the thought before Silver could even finish it when he said, "Hang on. You told me that Dad  _wanted_  to be a Pokemon trainer. You never told me he  _was_  one. But now you're telling me he got all the badges  _and_  tried Victory Road?"

Silver saw the guilt flash across Miranda's features, and she pushed her food around with her fork like she always did when she was nervous. Her voice shook a little when she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't tell you because he gave all of that up when I got pregnant with you. It was a really difficult decision for him, and I thought you'd... blame yourself."

Silver couldn't blame Miranda for thinking that. Gold blamed himself and apologized for things that weren't his fault all the time, so it was hardly unreasonable to assume he'd have blamed himself for "ruining his father's dream." Gold seemed to acknowledge this as well, as he didn't become irate with Miranda for keeping the truth from him.

Standing from her chair, Miranda went over to the nearby bookshelf and started shifting books around. To Silver's surprise, he heard a clicking sound followed by what sounded like a door sliding open. A hidden compartment behind the bookshelf? From the compartment, Miranda drew out a long, thin, red box. It was covered with dust, so she took a napkin from the table and wiped it off before handing it to Gold.

Silver watched Gold's eyes light up with wonder when he opened the box and saw the contents. Silver peeked over Gold's shoulder and saw eight gym badges. Only three of the badges, Zephyr, Storm, and Glacier were ones he recognized. He guessed it was due to Falkner taking the gym over for his father and keeping the same badge while Chuck and Pryce were around even back when Gold's father took the gym challenge. It made him wonder what gym leaders had been in charge of all the other gyms at that time.

Gold continued to gaze at the badges, and Silver watched a smile form on the younger man's lips. Looking up at his mother, Gold said, "Thanks, Mom."

She smiled back and said, "He'd be proud of you, dear."

Gold didn't answer, but Silver could see that her words encouraged him as the light in his eyes grew even brighter. Silver knew, after this, Gold was going to fight twice as hard to become Champion. There was no one in the world Gold looked up to more than his father, so making him proud would be a  _far_  better motivator than Gold's personal ambition.

They all finished up their food, and they helped Miranda clean up before they started gathering their things for the trip. When they had their bags piled up by the door, Miranda met them there and hugged Gold first.

She kissed him on the temple, took him by the sides of his face, and said, "Come back to me a Champion, you hear?"

Gold smiled brightly and answered, "I will. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, dear."

Gold then picked up his share of the luggage and headed out of the door. Houndour, who had been patiently waiting outside for the two men to emerge, bounded inside and barked, clearly ready to get underway. Silver turned to Miranda in time for her to pull him into a hug as well. He hugged her back tightly and kissed her on the cheek.

She returned the favor before pulling away and, while keeping her hands on his chest, said, "Now don't you forget to call me when he goes inside, young man. You didn't pay to have the battles streamed to our TV for me to miss any of it."

He knelt down to pick up his luggage. "I won't forget, Miranda. I promise."

Before he could walk out of the door, however, she took him gently by the arm and said quietly, "Watch out for him, okay?"

He half-smiled, winked at her, and said, "You know I always do."

She released Silver's arm after that and knelt down to Houndour. Petting the excitable dog on the head, she said, "And  _you_  look after  _both_  of my boys."

Houndour howled enthusiastically and gave Miranda a quick lick on her nose. Silver waved at Miranda before finally leaving the house, Houndour on his heels.

* * *

As Silver had imagined it would be, the trek up to the Indigo Plateau had been less than pleasant. On top of the rough terrain and the waves of trainers who challenged them along the way, the cold was unbearable. Maybe it was due to his ginger blood, but Silver absolutely could not  _stand_  the cold. Luckily, they had Typhlosion and Houndour, both of whom gave off a natural heat, so when they needed to rest, the two trainers could build a fire and snuggle up with the fire Pokemon.

By the time they reached the Indigo Plateau, the sun had  _just_  ducked behind the horizon, and they were both spent. But they were here. They'd made it through Victory Road, and now all they had to do was get to the cabin, get a well-deserved night's sleep, and Gold would be able to take on the League the next day. Silver turned to Gold and saw signs of exhaustion present all over his body. Not surprising. Trainers seem to know, by instinct, who the stronger trainers are, so Gold had fought the majority of the battles on the way up Victory Road.

Silver took one of Gold's hands and said, "Come on. The cabin isn't far."

He saw relief flash over Gold's features as he led the younger man past the Indigo Plateau's main building and up a rarely-used trail. When they reached the top of the trail, Silver saw the cabin. Hoping the electricity had been turned on in time, he pulled the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Both of them went inside and Silver tried to lightswitch on the nearby wall. The lights came on, and Silver breathed a sigh of relief.

The cabin was less of a house and more of a shack, only having three rooms: one large room that contained the stove, the refrigerator, a small, two-seated table, and a queen size bed all crammed in together as well as two smaller rooms that were the laundry room and the bathroom. The back door was connected to the laundry room, and Silver was pleased to see a doggy door attached to it. That would give Houndour the ability to come and go as he pleased.

Now he only needed to get the heater turned on so they could warm up. So, after dropping his luggage by the bed, he went to the thermostat on the wall and set the heater to "on" for the time being. He could switch it to "auto" once they couldn't see their breath anymore. When he turned back to the bed, he noticed Gold had already flopped onto his back and had his arm draped over his eyes. Silver glanced in the direction of the bathroom before walking over to the bed and leaning over Gold. He turned his head slightly to the side and pecked Gold on the lips, which caused the younger man to move his arm and stare up at Silver.

Silver ran his hand through Gold's hair and said, "You know, this place has a  _really_  small hot water heater."

Gold raised an eyebrow and smirked before saying sarcastically, "Now I  _know_  you're not thinking dirty thoughts."

Taking Gold's hand, he helped the younger man to his feet and said, "Why not? I can actually  _act_  on them now."

Gold smiled and followed Silver into the bathroom. However, as their clothes started to come off, Silver quickly became aware that the atmosphere wasn't what he'd grown accustomed to. Since Christmas night, the two of them had become more intimate in the bedroom, only stopping short of going all the way as Gold wasn't ready for that yet. Today, though, something was hovering over Gold's head. Silver wasn't sure what it was, but it was preventing him from seducing Gold the way he wanted to. Even after they both climbed into the hot shower and they were soaking wet, Gold didn't show any of the enthusiasm Silver had come to expect from him.

So while Gold had his back turned facing the shower head, Silver wrapped his arms around Gold's waist, brought his lips next to Gold's ear and asked, "What's wrong?"

Gold tensed at his question and retorted, "What makes you think something's wrong?"

Silver huffed and said, "Come on, Gold. Do you really think I can't tell by now when something's bothering you?"

He couldn't see the expression on Gold's face, but the continued tension in Gold's muscles told Silver all he needed to know. Gold sighed heavily and leaned his head back so that it was resting against Silver's shoulder. His eyes stayed locked on the ceiling as he said, "It's just... It's been a really long time since I was in a legitimately tough battle. Even those trainers on the way up here weren't as challenging as Claire was. I..."

He trailed off and his eyes fell closed before he was able to finish, "I don't want to make a fool of myself."

Of all the things Gold could have told him, Silver expected this the least. Gold had always shown nothing less than steadfast confidence in his abilities as a trainer. And for good reason. So the thought of Gold doubting his own abilities had been so far outside of what Silver had seen as the realm of possibility that he hadn't even considered it. But if that was all that was bothering him, it was an easy enough fix.

Taking Gold by his hips, Silver spun him around and leaned into a quick, deep kiss. He felt Gold's hands rest against his chest as he pulled back and said, "You're not gonna make a fool of yourself. You're gonna walk into the Indigo Plateau tomorrow, and you're gonna kick  _all_  of their asses."

Gold, apparently, wasn't entirely convinced as his eyes averted and he said, "You don't know that."

Silver wasn't about to let him look away, though, so he cupped Gold's face in his hands and made him turn his gaze back. With his eyes locked on Gold's, Silver said, "I  _do_  know that. You don't get all eight Johto gym badges by being a pushover."

The look in Gold's eyes shifted only slightly, which told Silver he still needed a little bit more convincing. So he pulled Gold into his arms, kissed him lightly on the side of the head, and said, "You're the best of the best, Gold. Don't sell yourself short."

Whether it was due to his words or the embrace, Silver couldn't say, but the tension in Gold's body tapered off until the younger man seemed fully relaxed. Gold's arms came up to wrap around Silver's neck, and when their eyes met again, Silver saw the look he'd been hoping for when he'd first invited Gold into the shower with him.

Gold returned Silver's earlier kiss with one of his own and purred, "I'm not sure if I believe you. I might still need more convincing."

Silver smirked and looped his arm around Gold's lower back, causing their lower bodies to come together and their hardening members to ram into each other. Silver lovingly nuzzled his head against Gold's and whispered in his ear, " _Now_  who's thinking dirty thoughts?"

Gold smirked back and pulled Silver into another far more heated kiss as Silver reached to shut off the water. They weren't getting any showering done at the moment anyway.

* * *

The two of them awoke to the alarm on Gold's Pokegear, and Gold, who had been nervous the night before, seemed to have forgotten his nerves entirely as he was the first to climb out of bed. He dressed far quicker than Silver and he was whipping a quick breakfast together for the two of them before Silver had even managed to wake up completely. Silver smiled at Gold's apparent excitement and walked up behind him as he was cooking their eggs.

He repeated his actions from the previous night and wrapped his arms around Gold's waist before saying, "You look like you're feeling better."

Gold flipped the over-medium eggs and answered, "Well, you were  _very_ persuasive."

Silver couldn't help it. Every time Gold complimented him on his skills in the bedroom, his ego would swell to epic proportions. He could only assume that it came with him caring for Gold so much. Sadly, none of his former sexual partners had been people he cared for, so he'd had no reason to feel pride in making them feel good. But each time he brought Gold to completion... there was just no comparison to the happiness that would well in Silver's chest. And to have that happiness reinforced with Gold's compliments only added to Silver's contentment.

Gold finished the eggs and slid them onto a plate, and with sausage and toast already made, the breakfast was complete. Gold turned to face Silver, and the younger man's cheeks were a deep red when he reached up to hooks his hands around the back of Silver's neck. Silver's hands instinctively moved to Gold's waist, and he smiled before Gold leaned in to kiss him.

It was a quick kiss, and when Gold pulled back, Silver could see nervousness forming on his face. Thinking Gold might have slipped back into his doubts from the night before, Silver said, "Hey, you okay?"

He saw Gold's lips part and then close again right before his cheeks grew and even darker shade of red. He was definitely nervous about something, and he seemed to be struggling to tell Silver what it was. Hoping to encourage him, Silver pulled him in closer and held him tightly. Gold's tense muscles relaxed slightly, and he turned his head to bury his face in the crook of Silver's neck.

"I'm okay," Gold said. "I just didn't think this would be so hard to admit."

Admit? Did that mean that Gold was about to make some kind of confession? What could Gold possibly have to confess?

The younger man gripped onto Silver just a little bit tighter and said, "I've been lying to you about why I didn't want to go all the way. I told you it was because I didn't wanna rush things, but that's not really the reason. I... was afraid."

Silver's eyebrows ran together and he moved his hands up to Gold's shoulders to push him back. Afraid? That word sent Silver's anxiety through the roof in an instant, and he scrambled to ask, "Why? Did I do something to scare you?"

Gold's eyes widened slightly and he moved to hug Silver again, this time wrapping his arms around Silver's back and grasping his shoulders. His voice was equally anxious when he said, "Oh god, no. No, I... I'm sorry, Silver. I didn't mean to make you think that. You've been nothing but great."

Silver wasn't sure that last part was true, but he was comforted to know that Gold's fears hadn't originated from something  _he'd_  done. He didn't think he could ever forgive himself if he ever made Gold fear him.

Gold exhaled heavily, and maintained the hug as he said, "I know I act all confident, but I've only ever had sex with one person in my entire life, and I don't think I need to tell you who it was."

Silver's left eye twitched as the familiar anger that always bubbled up inside of him at the mention of Anthony came to the surface. Knowing that  _that_  brute was the one who had taken Gold's first time was nothing short of infuriating. He kept his anger in check, however, knowing that Gold needed his undivided attention in these moments.

Gold's whole body shuddered when he went on, "All he cared about was getting off, so he was always... really rough. Every time we did it, I couldn't walk properly the next day."

Gold was being intentionally vague about it to avoid the nasty details, but Silver understood his meaning regardless. Gold had always displayed such confidence and enthusiasm in the bedroom that the thought of him overcoming a trauma hadn't even crossed Silver's mind. But now that he was hearing it straight from Gold's mouth, it made sense. Of course Anthony wouldn't care if the sex was good for Gold. That bastard didn't care about anyone but himself, so Silver wasn't sure why it never occurred to him that Anthony had potentially tainted Gold's sexual experiences with his brutality. Now that he knew, though, it reaffirmed his motivation to make sure that his and Gold's first time would be nothing but mind-blowing for the younger man. He wouldn't let Gold's bad experiences be front and center anymore.

Gold finally raised his head and looked Silver in the eyes. The nervousness was still present in his features, but there was also resolve mixed in. His eyes lit up when he said, "But I'm not afraid anymore, so when I finish at the League I... I want to do it with you."

 _I want to do it with you_. Silver had been waiting for months to finally hear Gold speak those words. On the inside, his brain was throwing a party, his heart was racing, and fireworks were exploding in his chest. But he willed himself to keep the overexcitement from showing in his expressions. He wasn't about to lose control of himself and start jumping for joy, no matter how excited he was.

Instead, Silver placed a soft kiss on Gold's forehead and said, "All right."

Gold had clearly been expecting a more enthusiastic response as his left eyebrow raised and he said, "That's it? "All right?""

Silver gave a sly grin and said, "Yep. I think I'll save all of my enthusiasm for when it happens and see if I can make you not be able to walk properly for the  _right_  reasons."

Silver watched Gold's expression shift instantly to arousal, but Silver backed away before grabbing his plate of food. He kissed Gold on the side of the head, thanked him for breakfast, and went over to the table to eat, knowing he'd given his lover plenty to think about.

* * *

They finished their breakfast and headed out soon after, Houndour following close behind them. As they came upon the Indigo Plateau's main building, they stopped at the sight of three different reporters and their cameramen, no doubt there to try to interview the newest League challenger. One look at Gold's face and Silver could tell that he didn't want to talk to the media, and Silver couldn't blame him. For one, there was no telling how long they would stall him, and for two, they would, no doubt, ask prying questions that Gold didn't want to answer. Luckily, Miranda had foreseen this very thing happening, and she'd sent Silver with a plan.

Placing a hand on Gold's shoulder, Silver said, "Don't worry. I'll distract them. You just get in there and kick some ass."

Before Gold was able to say anything else, Silver turned his head to the side and gave Gold a quick kiss. He then turned and started walking toward the reporters, who quickly swarmed him and started shoving their microphones in his face.

One blonde, female reporter said, "You must be the young man set to challenge the League. What's your name?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Silver saw Gold walking casually past them, being careful not to draw attention to himself. Knowing he needed to keep the reporter's attention on himself, Silver answered, "Silver."

One of the other reporters, a black-haired male, said, "That's odd. My sources indicated the challenger's name was Gold. They must've been wrong."

Silver smirked. They were making this far too easy. They were assuming the answers to their questions and statements, which meant he didn't have to lie. Silver subtly glanced past the cameras and saw that Gold was closing in on the door. Soon, he'd be inside and out of the line of fire.

Finally, the third reporter, a dark-skinned, brunette woman, asked, "Would you mind showing the camera your badges? I'm sure those at home would be thrilled to see them."

Miranda had foreseen this inquiry as well. Reaching into his deep pocket, Silver drew out the box with Gold's father's badges in it. He opened the box right as Gold entered the building and the door closed behind him. The cameras zoomed in on the badges, and all three reporters instantly glared at Silver when they realized the deception.

The male reporter sneered, "Young man, most of those badges have been out of comission for years."

Silver flashed a sly grin. "I know, but I never said I was the challenger. You just assumed."

The reporters all looked like they were about to scold him when a voice came up over the loudspeakers, announcing the arrival of the League challenger. The reporters all proceeded to glare at Silver again, and the redhead shrugged before saying, "Sorry. The soon-to-be Champion doesn't have time for vultures. Go peck at someone else."

As he walked away, he heard the camera men start to snicker while the reporters all started screeching about how all of that had been "live." While Silver didn't really like the idea that he'd been on live TV, it was hilarious to think that the TV studios would not be able to edit out what he'd said and done. It would definitely give Miranda something to laugh at.

He entered the building soon after, and found the TV screen Gold had mentioned. Several chairs were positioned in front of it, and he took a seat at one of the ones in the front row. Before long, people started filing into the building, eager to watch the challenger. The chairs filled up quickly, and people started standing nearby, some of them shoving each other to get a view of the screen. Silver couldn't help the pride that moved through him at the prospect of so many people watching Gold take on this challenge because he knew, beyond all doubts, Gold was going to win.

As promised, Silver drew his pokegear from his pocket and dialed Miranda's number. The phone rang twice before Miranda picked up and said, "Really, Silver? Vultures? That was the best you could come up with? That insult is older than I am."

Silver grinned and said, "Oh? And what would  _you_  have said, Your Royal Highness, the Queen of Wit?"

Miranda laughed at that and said, "You were wonderful, dear. Has he gone in already?"

"Yeah," Silver answered. "The live broadcast should be starting soon, so get ready."

"Not to worry," she said. "I already have some popcorn ready. I'm expecting an exciting show."

He chuckled lightly. "All right. I'll see you when we get back. Love you."

Though he couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling when she said, "I love you too, dear."

They hung up after that, and Silver turned his attention back to the screen right as it flickered and the camera started rolling. He saw Gold walk into the room with Will, the first member of the Elite Four. The red-haired man stared Gold down, and Gold showed absolutely no sign of being intimidated. Silver's face seemed to have become permanently locked in a prideful smirk as Gold drew his first pokeball. Miranda was right. This was definitely going to be exciting.

* * *

As Gold challenged each Elite Four member, Silver discovered that it had been more than reasonable for the younger man to be intimidated by these trainers. They were viciously strong, far stronger than Silver had given them credit for. They performed strategies Silver had never even thought of, and more than once he thought Gold might be done in by one of them. But, like Silver had come to expect of him, Gold persevered, and when the third of Lance's Dragonites fell to Gold's Jynx, the entire room around Silver erupted in cheers.

The warm, overwhelming pride that had been building in Silver's chest after every one of Gold's victories seemed to explode when Lance named Gold the new champion. The smile on Silver's face grew wider as he saw the realization come over Gold. His face, it held such a look of disbelief that Silver couldn't help but laugh quietly. It had to have been surreal for Gold, knowing that he'd just accomplished the dream he'd had since he was a child. Silver knew how rare it was for a person to actually accomplish their dreams, so he was beyond ecstatic that Gold had been able to accomplish his.

As Lance started leading Gold toward the room behind the Champion's arena, Silver saw Gold reach into his pocket and draw out his pokegear. He could only guess Gold was calling Miranda. He was slightly jealous of both of them. He wanted to hear the excitement in both of their voices, but he knew he would just have to wait his turn. However, before Gold could pass through the double doors along with Lance, he stopped in his tracks. Lance, who had turned around, seemingly to see what was keeping Gold, suddenly lost the smile that had been on his face since he was defeated. The pokegear fell from Gold's hand right as Lance started making hand motions at the camera. The screen went black, and a deep feeling of dread shot through Silver.

What the hell had that been about? Lance looked straight-up worried before the camera stopped filming. Deciding he needed to try to call Gold and ask what happened, Silver dialed the younger man's number and waited. The phone went straight to voicemail, however, and the dread built. What was going on? Before he could make another move, his phone started ringing and the caller ID read 'Miranda.'

He answered it quickly and said, "Miranda? Did you see what happened?"

The last voice he was expecting to hear came through the phone and said, "Silver?"

Silver's eyebrows raised. "Professor Elm? Why are you answering Miranda's phone?"

He could tell Professor Elm was trying desperately to answer him, but the pokegears started experiencing static, so he was unable to make out everything that was being said. All he could hear was, "Silv-... need... find Gold... Hurry."

Find Gold? Silver had planned on doing that anyway, but the fact that Professor Elm was telling him to do so only piled on the fear that had already been building in Silver for the past several minutes. The call cut off, and Silver didn't bother trying to call back. Whatever was going on, he needed to find Gold now.

Drawing the box of badges back out of his pocket, he held it down to Houndour's level and asked, "Can you get Gold's scent off this, boy?"

Houndour sniffed the box and gave an affirmative bark. Before Silver could ask him where they needed to go, Houndour took off toward the front door of the building. Silver chased after him as the automatic doors opened. The small Pokemon started sniffing the air, and after a few seconds, ran off again, this time heading around to the back of the Indigo Plateau's main building. Following close behind, Silver started looking wildly around, searching for any sign of his lover. Houndour led him several yards past the building, and stopped momentarily when they reached the bottom of a sheer cliff with a mountain path leading to the top of it. He sniffed the air one more time, as if confirming the scent, and ran up the mountain path.

Silver was becoming afraid. What was Gold doing so far from the Plateau, especially after finally winning and becoming Champion? None of this made any sense. He followed Houndour up the path until they reached the very top of the cliff. It had to be at least ten or fifteen stories high and overlooked the entire Plateau. Finally, after what felt like hours, Silver spotted Gold.

However, it wasn't the happy reunion Silver would have expected after Gold accomplishing such a great feat. Gold... he was walking toward the edge of the cliff, and he showed absolutely  _no_  signs of stopping. At first, Silver was certain he had to be mistaken. Gold wouldn't do this. He wasn't that kind of person. But as he kept walking forward, Silver's body moved on its own. No. This couldn't be happening. Gold was  _not_  about to... Silver reached Gold right as the younger man's foot stretched out over the edge of the cliff. Without further thought, Silver hooked his arm around Gold's neck and yanked him back. The younger man made no sound as Silver threw him roughly to the ground and safely away from danger.

For the first several seconds, Silver couldn't move, he couldn't think, and he couldn't feel anything apart from utter disbelief. What he'd just witnessed, it was so far beyond what he ever believed possible that he almost thought he had to be hallucinating. Gold had just tried to kill himself. Gold. It was just as unfathomable as it had been when Silver had first saw it happening. Why? What possible reason could Gold have for doing this, for wanting to die? Finally, the shock wore off, and the full weight of what almost happened crashed over Silver like a truck full of bricks.

If he'd been even one second too late, Gold would have died. He would have been gone, in an instant. A future, one Silver had never wanted to consider, flashed before his eyes: a future without Gold in it. He saw himself discovering Gold's mangled corpse at the foot of a cliff. He saw himself burying Gold and quickly devolving back into the miserable person he had been before he had allowed Gold into his life. The thought of that future, it should have made him distraught, but instead, his emotions defaulted to the thing he knew better than anything else: anger.

He stomped up to Gold, stared down at him with rage in his eyes as he roared, "What the  _hell_  were you doing!? Why would you-?!"

Tears were already welling in his eyes, and the rest of the sentence caught in his throat. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say those words. The thought of Gold completing what he'd started, of losing him, it was too much. Silver couldn't bear it, not for an instant. To Silver's absolute exasperation, Gold didn't move from his place on the ground. His eyes were fixed on the sky and his face just as emotionless as it had been for most of John's funeral.

Silver was about to shout at Gold again and demand to know what he'd been thinking when the younger man finally whispered something, something Silver couldn't quite make out due to how quietly it was spoken.

He took a step closer to Gold and said, "What?!"

At last, Gold moved to sit up, and his eyes fell to the ground when he said, slightly louder this time, "She... she's dead. Mom is..."

A few seconds ago, Silver had been ready to let his anger loose and scream at Gold until he came to his senses, but now, with those words spoken, all of the anger was gone and he fell back into disbelief. Miranda... dead? He'd just spoken to her before Gold started his battle with Will. She was fine, cracking jokes and talking about how excited she was. How could she be dead so suddenly? No. This was all too damned much. He couldn't deal with both of these things back to back. He had to focus on one at a time, and, at the moment, stopping Gold from trying to kill himself again seemed the easier of the two. With Miranda now gone, he couldn't risk losing Gold too. Being alone again, Silver knew he couldn't handle that, not now, not ever.

So he knelt down over Gold and, without a hint of sympathy in his voice, growled, "And what!? You thought you'd join her!? Do you  _really_ believe that's what she'd want!?"

Acting on obvious anguish, Gold bit back, "Shut up! She was  _my_  mother, not yours! Don't try to lecture me on what she would have wanted!"

Silver felt his face wilt before he was able to stop it, and his chest stung at Gold's harsh words. Gold had never hurt him before, not intentionally at least, and he was far too emotionally compromised to be understanding about it.

So he turned his back and said, "So I really don't matter to you after all. I should have known."

He couldn't see Gold's face, but he knew he was shocked due to the sound of his voice when he said, "Wh-what? What are you talking about!? Of course you matter to me!"

Silver scoffed and crossed his arms tightly. "Yeah? I saw you, Gold. You didn't even fucking hesitate to walk off that cliff. If I hadn't stopped you-"

He had to stop because the tears starting to drip down his face were forcing him to. He couldn't afford to break down, not now, not when Gold just didn't get it. He would  _make_  him get it if it was the last thing he ever did.

Before Gold could say anything else, Silver went on, "I'm  _so_  damn important that I didn't warrant even a  _second_  of hesitation. You didn't care that you'd be leaving me  _completely_  alone."

Turning slowly back toward Gold, Silver saw the look of absolute bafflement on the younger man's face. But he wasn't done, not yet. Gold needed to fully understand the consequences of what he'd done.

Keeping the stern expression, Silver snarled, "After everything you said to me, telling me that my life wasn't just mine anymore... I can't believe I trusted such a hypocritical prick."

Finally, the shock dissipated from Gold's face and was replaced with the look Silver had been waiting for. the look that assured him Gold would never try anything like this again. He saw tears welling in Gold's eyes when the younger man looked at the ground and said, "Silver, I-"

He knew what Gold was about to say, and he couldn't hear it, not yet. He needed to calm down first. So he didn't let Gold finish his sentence and said, "Come on. We're going home."

Without another word, Silver took Gold by his left bicep and pulled him to his feet. The younger man made no objections as Silver took the pokeball that he knew held Gold's Altaria and released it at the same time he let out his Crobat. The two trainers took off into the air along with Houndour and headed in the direction of Silver's house. They would just have to come back for their few belongings they'd left in the cabin later. Silver was in no mood for pit stops.

* * *

The whole flight home, Silver hadn't spoken a word to Gold. As much as Gold wanted to think him cruel for everything he said, he knew he couldn't. Even if his mother  _had_  just died, he knew what he'd almost done was far more cruel than anything Silver could have possibly said to him. All these months he'd spent with Silver, cooking for him, kissing him, caring for him, and telling him how much he cherished him, he'd forgotten it all as soon as he heard the news about his mother. He selfishly stopped thinking about anything other than his own pain and how he could make it stop. He'd done so many things because he wanted to be like his father, but he never imagined he'd let things extend this far, that he would try to share his father's method of death as well.

The two of them landed outside of Silver's house and Gold followed Silver inside. As he expected Silver to, the redhead went to the bedroom. But, to Gold's surprise, Silver didn't slam the door. In fact, he didn't even close it. Had Silver closed the door, Gold might not have even bothered trying to say what he'd been thinking about the entire trip back home. He might have simply lay on the couch the entire night and wallowed in the soul-crushing guilt that was making it difficult to remain on his feet. But Silver wasn't shutting him out. He was leaving the door open, which told Gold that Silver didn't want things to be left like this any more than he did. But he wasn't going to reach a hand out to Gold either. Gold knew, after hurting Silver like he did, he didn't deserve such a courtesy. Silver was leaving everything entirely in Gold's hands, and he knew he needed to act quickly if he didn't want to lose him. He  _couldn't_  lose him. He knew that now that he was faced with that possibility.

So he exhaled heavily and took the long, heavy steps that it took to reach the bedroom the two of them had been sharing the past several months. He found Silver standing in the middle of the room with his back turned. He was staring at the picture that was sitting on the night stand next to the bed, the picture Gold had given him for Christmas. Gold couldn't bear to look at it, not yet, especially not when he needed to keep it together at least long enough to tell Silver how sorry he was. Hoping beyond hope that Silver wouldn't push him away, Gold stepped up behind his red-haired lover and reached a hand out to grasp the back of his shirt.

Fresh tears welled in his eyes and his chest ached when he said, "Silver?"

The redhead offered no response, but neither did he pull away. Taking that as a good sign, Gold went on, "You were right. You were right about everything. I... I wasn't thinking about you. I was only thinking about myself."

Silver still didn't answer, but as he'd yet to rebuke him, Gold dared to take another step closer and wrap his arms tenderly around Silver's waist. He pressed his cheek against his back, right below his neck, and he could hear Silver's heart thumping loudly. Despite remaining silent and seemingly trying to keep his emotions in check, Gold could tell from that thumping that his words were having some kind of effect.

So he carried on, "I remember why you ran from me the first time I kissed you. You thought you weren't good enough, and I... goddammit, I made you think you were right. But that's not... it's not right. It's not right at all."

He tightened his grip on Silver and he wasn't able to stop the tears from escaping from his eyes and seeping into Silver's shirt. Swallowing a sob that was threatening to escape from him, Gold choked out, "I don't know how I did it, but I must've somehow justified it in my mind. I must have thought you'd be okay without me. You got along just fine without me before. I didn't think... I just didn't  _think_."

Now there was only one thing left to say. It didn't and would never feel like enough, and it probably wasn't. But he had to say it anyway because he meant it. Exhaling again, Gold mumbled, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Silver."

There was nothing else he could say now. He'd admitted to his own stupidity, and he'd apologized. It was now up to Silver whether he wanted to forgive him or not. And after betraying him so spectacularly, Gold wasn't expecting forgiveness, especially after Silver had made the comment about "trusting a hypocrite."

The silence that followed was so painful, Gold almost wondered if Silver was physically stabbing him. Whatever was said, he knew he deserved it, but waiting for it to come was absolutely unbearable.

Thankfully, the redhead didn't keep up the torture for too long as he sighed heavily and said, "I didn't."

Confused, Gold asked, "What?"

Silver shook his head and stared down at his feet. "I didn't  _get along just fine_  without you. I was... I was fucking worthless, Gold."

Worthless? That word shot through Gold like the bullets he fired during target practice. Silver really believed that, that he was worthless before meeting him? Unable to come up with a response, Gold remained silent as the redhead's fists clenched and he said, "I was a liar, a bully, and a thief. I manipulated people, I abused my Pokemon, and I didn't give a shit about the damage I caused. I was an absolute piece of shit."

Gold was painfully aware by now of how much Silver's past haunted him, and how deeply he hated himself for his actions, but it was no easier to hear Silver berate himself now than it ever was.

"And even after you kicked my ass straight," Silver said, "I still spent most of my free time drinking myself stupid in any bar I could find. I-"

The ache in Gold's chest became even more intense when Silver raised one of his hands up to his eyes and exhaled again. It was obvious he was trying just as hard as Gold was to hold it together. He wanted to comfort Silver. He wanted to say something, do something, to make this better, but he could sense that Silver still had more to say, so he, once again, kept silent.

Silver's voice was shaky when he said, "I'm better with you than I  _ever_  could have been on my own because you  _made_  me be better. You didn't give me a choice."

Another wave of guilt shot through Gold when he felt a drop on one of his hands. Despite his best efforts, Silver was crying, and Gold couldn't stand knowing that he'd been the one to cause Silver this much pain.

The redhead, seemingly having reached the end of his ability to speak properly stuttered out, "S-So you... you don't get to just... decide to check out. You don't get to..."

 _You don't get to leave me_. Despite Silver not being able to say it, Gold knew that was how that sentence was going to end. That was it. That was as much as Gold could take. He wasn't going to let Silver feel this pain for even a second longer. Taking Silver by his shoulders, Gold made him turn around.

He cupped Silver's face in his hands, and stared him straight in the eyes when he said, "I'm not! Silver, I won't!"

Silver's bloodshot eyes averted after that. He wasn't convinced, not yet. He needed more. He needed a promise. And Gold would give it to him. He pressed his forehead against Silver's and closed his eyes before saying, "Silver, I promise you, I'm  _not_  gonna leave you."

He opened his eyes after that and looked at Silver, hoping to see even a small hint of acceptance behind the hurt in his eyes. But all he saw was the hurt, the betrayal, and the utter despair that he'd expected to see. If he couldn't see it in Silver's eyes, he would have to hear it from Silver's lips.

Praying for an answer, Gold asked, "Do you believe me?"

At last, Silver's hands moved toward him. The redhead's hands grasped onto the front of Gold's shirt, and he parted his lips to speak. His voice seemed to catch at first, resulting in another several moments of silence.

But, after he'd seemingly found his voice again, Silver kept his eyes downcast when he said, "I love you."

For a moment, Gold was certain his brain had been playing tricks on him, that his own wishful thinking had overtaken his senses. Silver was viciously conservative with his emotions, rarely allowing anyone to see or hear any signs of his emotional state. It was one of the things that drew Gold to him, knowing that  _he_  was one of only a few people that Silver showed this side of himself. Despite that, despite being one of the people Silver let in, Gold still never thought Silver would say those words to him, not ever.

Nor did he expect the tone with which Silver spoke them. He sounded desperate, far more desperate than Gold had ever heard him sound before. This was a confession, yes, but it was something else too. This was a plea, from Silver, to never betray him like that again, which let Gold know that Silver was giving him another chance. The ache that had been present since entering the bedroom disappeared, and Gold's chest burned with a greater warmth than he'd ever felt in his life. He was sure he'd known it for a while, but it took Silver saying the words first to make Gold finally acknowledge it. He loved him too, far more than he ever realized he  _could_  love a person. And that realization banished all inhibitions from his mind. This happiness, he was going to ride it as far as it would take him because he knew, once the bubble popped and he was forced to face the fact that his mother was dead, he wouldn't be feeling such happiness again for a  _very_ long time.

So he grasped Silver's cheeks tightly and pressed their lips together, hoping that he might drown in the happiness even faster. Silver wasted no time in pushing back against the kiss and forcing Gold's lips apart with his tongue. Not that Gold was complaining. He wanted to be as close to Silver as he possibly could be, to feel and taste as much of him as he would allow. That was all his mind could focus on, and, in that moment, it was all he  _wanted_  to focus on.

He heard Silver gasp when he placed his hands on Silver's chest and roughly pushed him backward, making him fall onto his back on the bed. He didn't give Silver even a moment to adjust before he straddled him and pinned him down much like he had the morning they'd left for the League. He was pleased to feel Silver harden almost instantly, and he leaned down to smother the redhead with another wild kiss. Thankfully, the redhead seemed to be equally as drunk on his own emotions as he participated just as enthusiastically as Gold, ripping his wrists away from Gold's grip and grasping onto the sides of Gold's head.

While Silver's hands were busy doing that, Gold reached down to the button-up shirt Silver was wearing and started undoing the buttons as quickly as he could manage with his shaky hands. Once it was fully open, he pulled away from the kiss and pulled his own shirt over his head. To his delight, one of Silver's hands came up and stroked him from his collar bone all the way down to his abs before it slid back up and took him by the back of the neck. Gold found himself being yanked back down and into another messy kiss. Not surprising. Kissing did seem to be Silver's favorite part as he would always go out of his way to keep a kiss going even if it was inconvenient to do so. But kissing wasn't what Gold wanted. No. He wanted more. He wanted to finally give Silver what he'd been denying him all this time, and he wanted to do it now.

Breaking the kiss, Gold let his hands rest on Silver's chest when he said, "Silver, don't stop."

Gold was mildly disappointed when a flash of sobriety came over Silver's face and he said, "What? But Gold-"

"No "buts"," Gold said sternly. "I told you I wanted to do this after the League and you were okay with it."

Silver's eyes grew wider and he said, "Yeah, but that was before you told me about-"

Gold placed one of his hands over Silver's mouth and said, "Stop! Don't say it! I don't want to think about it! I don't want to think at all!"

The ache from before returned to his chest, and Gold leaned over to rest his head on Silver's shoulder. He ran one of his hands through Silver's hair and said, "I never  _stop_  thinking, Silver. I'm always planning ahead, thinking about the future, and worrying about every little fucking thing. And what good did all of that worrying and thinking do me? She died anyway!"

He'd said he didn't want to think about it, but the words escaped from his lips before he could stop them. The anguish he knew would be coming later started trying to emerge early, but he forced it down. Not now. Not yet. He wanted to keep holding on to the high Silver had given him with his confession.

He heard his own voice shake when he said, "If you're saying no because you don't want to, then fine. But if you're saying no because you're trying to protect me, then stop. I don't need protection."

He raised his head slightly and nuzzled it to the side of Silver's. He felt the redhead shudder a bit when he breathed out against his neck and said, "I love you. And, just for a little while, that's all I want to think about."

After that last sentence, Gold saw the expression on Silver's face shift completely away from the shocked sobriety. It seemed every mask Silver ever wore to keep his emotions hidden had fallen away, and Gold was seeing him as he'd never seen him before: completely open and vulnerable. The tenderness, the sheer adoration that came through Silver's expression was enough to render Gold completely boneless. Silver had told him a few moments ago that he loved him, but now, with Silver looking at him in such a way, Gold  _truly_  believed him. Overpowered by Silver's presence, Gold didn't fight it when the redhead sat straight up, took him by his hips and flipped him onto his back.

Yes.  _This_  was what he'd wanted. He wanted to see Silver lose all of his inhibitions, just like he had. No doubts. No hesitation. The redhead leaned down, and Gold was prepared for him to kiss him again, but Silver bypassed his lips completely and instead moved down to the skin on his chest. He expected that Silver might try to attack his nipples again, as he'd done many times, but he was surprised again when Silver did no such thing. Instead, he teased Gold in a different way, kissing the absolute slowest trail he could down the center of Gold's torso until he finally reached the point where Gold's jeans met his skin. Gold's stomach tightened when Silver unbuttoned the jeans and seductively dragged the zipper down with his teeth. The erection that had already been pushing against Gold's boxers twitched violently at the sight.

After that, Silver made short work of discarding Gold's jeans and boxers off the side of the bed. Normally, Silver would simply use his own saliva as lubricant, but this time he reached into the nightstand next to the bed and withdrew a white tube. Gold's thighs trembled with anticipation as Silver squeezed a generous amount of the lubricant onto his fingers and went for Gold's opening. As he'd done many times, Gold relaxed to allow Silver access, but his body tightened back up in an instant when he was jolted to attention by Silver sliding him into his mouth, taking his length like it was nothing. Gold cried out at the sudden, overwhelming stimulation and his hands gripped the sheets beneath him. Silver had gotten better at oral over the weeks they'd been intimate, but he'd never swallowed Gold like this before. Where had  _this_  come from?

Gold lost the ability to think about it, however, when Silver's wet fingers started probing around inside of him. Silver's apparent new skill on top of being touched from the back quickly overwhelmed Gold and he fell completely apart, unable to do anything else besides grunt and moan. As his walls expanded, Silver pushed in a third finger, something else he'd never done before. The sharp pain temporarily snapped Gold out of his trance, but once his body adjusted, the intense pleasure Silver had been building up over the past several minutes only grew more powerful. Silver's tight throat closing around him, his fingers poking all of Gold's most sensitive spots, it was quickly becoming too much. He could feel it coming, the moment when he knew his orgasm was imminent, and he forced himself to find his senses. He didn't want to come this way. Not tonight.

Fisting a large wad of Silver's hair, Gold yanked the redhead off of his now-drenched member and thought he might have made his efforts to avoid coming worthless when he looked at Silver, red-cheeked with a bit of drool dripping from his lips. Taking advantage of Silver's momentary confusion, Gold shoved the redhead onto his back for the second time and, once again, straddled him. Their bobbing members brushed against each other, and Gold felt the bit of precum that leaked out of him in response. The white tube was lying on the bed nearby, so Gold took it and let a large stream of lubricant smother Silver's twitching length.

After ensuring it was totally coated, Gold leaned forward, took Silver by his cheeks, and whispered in his ear, "Sorry, but I've always wanted to do this. You can do what you want next time."

Without waiting for a response, Gold lowered his hips and impaled himself onto Silver, resulting in the redhead shutting his eyes and releasing a sound somewhere between a shout and a moan. Silver's hands moved immediately to grasp Gold's hips, and his chest raised and fell so intensely, Gold almost wondered if he was hyperventilating. But when Silver's eyes opened back up and fell on Gold, the hazy, dazed expression behind them told Gold all he needed to know. Silver was in absolute bliss, which is right where Gold wanted him. So he moved his hips up and down, slowly at first, more for his own sake than Silver's. Silver wasn't small by any definition of the word, and this position allowed for much deeper penetration than Gold had realized. But it felt good,  _really_  good. In fact, with every further movement, the stimulation only became more and more intense until Gold could no longer feel anything else. At that point, his body seemed to break from his mind, and his hips started moving far faster than he realized they could move.

Silver's grip on his hips tightened, and Gold gasped when Silver, apparently unwilling to let Gold be fully in charge, started thrusting upward right as Gold would come back down. Every thrust sent Silver in deeper than he already had been, and Gold didn't attempt to hold back the lewd sounds that started bellowing out of him. Not that he would have been able to, anyway, especially after one of Silver's hands moved away from his hip and wrapped around his swelling member. As Silver pumped at him, Gold's lower body wound up and he could feel himself tightening around Silver. As if trying to make Gold faint, Silver sat up, forcing Gold to hug Silver about the neck and hook his legs around him. The amount of euphoria swimming through Gold was already too much, so when Silver pressed their lips together, Gold lost the last shred of control he had over his orgasm. He tried to pull his lips away to breathe, but Silver's free hand pushed against the back of his head, preventing him from moving. Just like the first time Silver had finished him, Gold was forced to release his cry of rapture into the redhead's mouth as he burst in his hand.

The orgasm racked him for what felt like minutes, and he kept his hips moving the whole time, determined that Silver should follow closely behind him. Not minding the cum coating his hand, Silver pressed it into Gold's lower back and still refused to break the kiss as he rode toward what Gold could tell was his own release. Silver took the several heavy breaths he always took before he reached completion, and his final thrusts were so wild Gold was certain he would break him in two. When Silver finally errupted, Gold let out a contented sigh at the extra heat that suddenly filled him. Both of Silver's arms gripped Gold tightly, and when his thrusting slowed to a stop, he finally allowed the kiss to break. Gold's skin tingled with goosebumps when Silver started kissing him softly on his neck, in the same place as the bite-mark scars, as if he were trying to overwrite the trauma with his own tenderness. As the post-orgasm high wore off for both of them, however, their bodies seemed to collapse from the exertion. Being just as gentle as ever, Silver lowered Gold onto his back as he pulled out.

Silver fell onto the bed next to him, and Gold turned his head to look at his exhausted lover. Silver's chest was rising and falling very quickly, his body was covered in sweat, and his eyes were still bloodshot, but the expression on his face was one of absolute contentment. With that, Gold knew his first goal had been accomplished. But now, before both of them fell asleep due to their mutual fatigue, Gold had to say the one thing that was still on his mind. He scooted closer to Silver and lay his cheek against his chest. Silver's arm quickly came down to hold him, and Gold couldn't help but feel like he still didn't deserve such tender treatment.

Trying to hold back more tears, Gold said, "I'm sorry, Silver."

The redhead glanced down at him and said, "You already apologized, Gold."

Gold shook his head. "Not enough. Not  _nearly_  enough."

Gold could tell that Silver was about to say something in response, so he placed two fingers against the redhead's lips to stop him. Silver's eyebrows ran together, but he didn't attempt to say anything else.

Satisfied he wouldn't be interrupted, Gold carried on, "I never wanted to give you a reason not to trust me. So many people in your life have done that already, and I... I wanted to be the one constant. I wanted to be the one person you could always trust, no matter what, but I fucked that up so spectacularly."

He then draped his arm across Silver's torso and pulled himself even closer so that he was pressed completely against Silver. He couldn't bear to look at Silver for this part, so he kept his eyes averted when he said, "But I'll do whatever it takes so that you can trust me again."

Silver's response was the last thing Gold expected. The redhead smirked and said, "I never stopped trusting you, Gold."

Gold's eyebrows raised, and he stared up at Silver with what he was sure was an absolutely stupefied expression. "But, you said-"

"I know what I said, "Silver interrupted. "You were about to walk off a cliff. Do you think there's a single thing I  _wouldn't_  have said if I thought it would stop you?"

Stunned to silence, Gold could do nothing but continue to stare blankly at Silver. He'd been putting on a show? All of those harsh, cruel things he'd said... he hadn't actually meant them?

The hand currently holding Gold slid up to rest against the back of his head and Silver kissed him on his forehead before saying, "I know how to read people, find their weaknesses, and then exploit that to get them to react the way I want them to. I did it to Annie and all those other women. I... I never wanted to do that to you, but I know that guilt is your biggest weakness. So I also knew if I made you feel guilty for trying to kill yourself that you wouldn't do it again."

With every word that left Silver's lips, the redhead's grip on Gold tightened a little more until Gold was certain that Silver had left an indentation in the back of his head. Silver's tone was stern when he said, "I know how much it hurt you, but I'm not sorry. I won't  _ever_  be sorry because it kept you alive, and I-"

Like they had several times since their confrontation on the cliff, Silver's words halted. Only this time, Gold couldn't guess how the sentence was going to end.

Silver exhaled heavily, and his stern tone was replaced with desperation when he said, "I  _can't_  lose you. I just... I  _can't_."

 _I love you_. Silver had spoken those words earlier, Gold believed him, but now he could see just how much Silver meant it. Silver despised everything about who he used to be, to the point that their relationship almost didn't start due to his own self-hatred. So Gold knew how disgusted Silver had to have felt when he was forced to use his old manipulation tactics. But he did it anyway. And while Gold hated that he'd driven Silver to such a thing, the fact that Silver loved him enough to do it made all of the guilt worth it.

Gold turned his head up and leaned forward to kiss Silver. The redhead accepted it warmly, and when it broke, Gold's eyes were welled with tears. Gold nuzzled their heads together again and choked out, "I love you. I love you  _so_  much."

The hand on the back of Gold's head started stroking his hair lightly, and he could tell Silver was smiling when he said, "Try to get some sleep, Gold. I have a feeling tomorrow's gonna be rough."

Rough? Likely the understatement of the century. But Gold had promised himself he wasn't going to think about it, not tonight. Tonight he would shut out the outside world and live inside of his and Silver's bubble. He would deal with tomorrow when tomorrow came.


	19. The Last Barbecue

Despite how tired he was when he fell down on the bed next to Gold, sleep was fleeting for Silver. Once the high from their love-making wore off, Silver's mind could focus on one thing and one thing only: Miranda, and how in the hell he and Gold were going to deal with it when the full weight of her passing came down on them. He turned over and saw Gold lying on his back, still sleeping. He was glad that Gold had managed to sleep at least a little and reached out to switch off the alarm clock. He would not allow Gold to be shaken awake by the sound, not today. Right now, Gold was still at peace, and Silver knew, as soon as the younger man woke up, that peace was going to evaporate. So Silver turned on his side and gently placed his hand on the top of Gold's head so that he might stroke his hair.

This wasn't fair. Silver never had a real family or the same sort of loving parents Gold had. True, Silver's father had been making improvements in recent months, but he was still a far cry from Gold's parents. For Gold to lose both of them... it just wasn't fair. Gold didn't deserve this. Silver had wanted so badly to protect him from it, which was why he'd risked his life to get the money for Miranda's treatment. He hadn't wanted to watch Gold go through this, to watch him lose his mother and see the after effects of that. It was too painful, too overwhelming. Gold was supposed to be happy, and, despite getting Miranda the treatment, Silver hadn't been able to ensure that happiness. Silver had always thought the universe a cruel place, but never more so than right at this moment.

He kept his eyes trained on Gold's face until the younger man's eyelids fluttered open. Silver expected to see his expression instantly shift into anguish, but, to his relief, it didn't. Instead, Gold's eyes met his, and he smiled. It wasn't an overly enthusiastic smile, nor was it as carefree as Silver would have liked, but it was a smile nonetheless. Silver was momentarily driven by his relief when he leaned over and kissed his sleepy lover. Gold's warm palm pressed against Silver's cheek, and the younger man returned the kiss. Silver relished the feeling, knowing that this might be the last time for a while that Gold would kiss him like this, with contentment behind his touch instead of devastation.

Once their lips came apart, Gold asked, "Did you sleep at all?"

Silver shook his head. "Not really."

After that, Silver sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the picture he'd been given for Christmas, sitting there on the night stand. He willed himself not to look at it. This day, it was going to be hell, and one of them needed to hold it together. He couldn't reasonably expect Gold to do so, so he would have to be the one to do it. No matter how much he'd loved Miranda, no matter how much her death might be ripping him apart inside, he needed to keep it under control, at least until they got through the day. Seemingly sensing his internal struggles, Gold crawled to the edge of the bed and sat behind Silver before wrapping his arms around him. He kissed Silver several times on the side of the neck, and Silver wished he could say it helped. He wanted to be comforted by what Gold was doing, if only to make Gold happy, but he couldn't be.

Much to his, and probably Gold's, dread, Gold's pokegear began to ring. Silver glanced over at it and saw that the caller ID read, "Crystal." As Gold moved to answer it, Silver knew that this was the moment the penny was going to drop and their mutual suffering was going to start.

Gold hit the answer button and said, "Hey, Crys."

Ordinarily, when Gold spoke to Crystal, her voice was loud and bubbly enough that he could hear her through the phone. But not this time.

"Yeah," Gold said. "We're at Silver's house."

Another silence as Crystal spoke, and Silver saw Gold's face start to wilt. Once she was finished, Gold said, "Okay. We'll be there soon."

Gold hung up after that, and he placed the pokegear back on the night stand before saying, "Crystal's at the hospital right now. She said Dr. Nicholas wants to talk to me to explain what happened."

Silver wasn't sure what good that was going to do, but if those answers would help Gold, he wasn't going to say anything. But if Silver was going to go with him, he needed to call his boss. He had vacation hours saved up, so he figured now was as good a time as any to use some of them.

"All right," Silver said. "Just let me call work. I'll be ready after that."

With absolutely no emotion in his voice, Gold answered, "That's fine. I was gonna take a shower anyway."

Silver also needed a shower, but when he heard Gold's tone and saw his face go pale, he thought better of asking him to wait for him. Gold went off to the bathroom, and Silver went for his pokegear.

After the phone rang twice, he heard Vanessa answer, "Silver? What's up? You never call work."

He could hear how pitiful he sounded when he said, "Hey, Vanessa. Is Jerry around?"

She didn't answer right away, probably taken aback by how he sounded. Eventually, though, she answered, "No, he's out on break. What's wrong? You sound awful."

He knew he probably looked it too. Heading over to his drawer to grab some clean clothes, he said, "I'm... not gonna be at work for probably the next week or so."

He heard the concern in her voice when she asked, "Why? What happened?"

Now came the hard part: saying the words out loud, the words he'd been avoiding speaking since hearing the news. He swallowed heavily and mumbled, "Miranda... she died yesterday."

He heard her gasp, and she sounded like she was about to cry herself when she said, "Oh my god, Silver. I'm... I'm so sorry."

He knew that saying "I'm sorry" was just something people said. He'd even said it to Crystal during her dad's funeral. Only now did he realize just how insufficient it was, how  _little_ it helped.

Unable to stop his voice from shaking, he said, "Can you tell Jerry for me? Gold and I have to leave to go to the hospital soon."

She didn't hesitate to say, "O-Of course, Silver. Whatever you need. Just... take care of yourself, okay?"

"Sure," he answered. "Bye, Vanessa."

He hung up then, and suddenly found that he'd lost most of the strength in his legs. He stumbled to the side and had to catch himself on the wall to keep from falling. He'd said it, out loud. Miranda died. He wasn't prepared for how his body and mind were going to react when he heard those words spoken in his own voice. His chest wrenched with a pain that rivaled the pain he'd felt after pulling Gold back from the cliff, and his every muscle seemed to fail him. Had he not promised himself he was going to keep it together for Gold's sake, he might have succumbed to the feeling and collapsed to the floor. He might have given in to the knot forming in his throat and the tears threatening to well in his eyes. But he placed Gold's face firmly in his mind and forced himself to fight it, to hold it down like he'd planned.

He then went off to the bathroom and found the door unlocked. He opened it and placed his clothes next to the ones Gold had brought in with him. As he looked at the fogged shower curtain, Silver could see that Gold wasn't moving. He was simply standing under the water and staring straight ahead with his chest rising and falling rapidly. Stripping quickly out of his clothes, Silver approached the shower and pulled back the curtain only to see what he'd expected to see: Gold trying and failing to hold back the tears that were pouring from his eyes.

Without a word, Silver stepped into the shower with him and pulled the curtain closed. Silver thought he might have to coax Gold into turning around, but as soon as he placed his hands on Gold's shoulders, the younger man turned around all on his own. The pitiful, devastated look in his eyes threatened to drive Silver straight back to the weakness he'd just felt in the bedroom, but he fought it back again. Gold needed him to be strong for him, and he would be, so he pulled Gold into his arms, waiting for the inevitable. It came quickly, as he'd imagined it would. Gold slid his arms around Silver's back and weakly gripped his shoulders before he finally let out the sobs he'd been trying to hold in. Every sob made Silver's chest wrench tighter, but he knew this wasn't going to be the last time this happened today. So he steeled his will and maintained his composure as he did the only thing he could do for the man he loved. He kept holding him until the both of them were able to make themselves move.

* * *

Gold and Silver arrived outside of the hospital around an hour later, and when they approached the door, Silver had to stop when Gold suddenly halted in his tracks. Silver looked at him, and saw that his face seemed to be frozen in a blank stare. His hands were trembling, and his forehead was shining with sweat. Silver had expected something like this might happen at some point. Hoping it might convince him to move, Silver curled his fingers through Gold's and gripped his hand tightly. Gold seemed to snap out of his daze and glanced briefly down at his hand before raising his eyes to Silver's. What Silver saw behind Gold's eyes was fear. While there was nothing he could do to stop that fear, Silver wanted to offer some form of comfort, no matter how small. Tugging gently at Gold's hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it softly. As Silver had expected, it did nothing to assuage the fear, but it seemed to give Gold the little push he needed to keep going as he led Silver inside, not releasing his hand.

They came upon Dr. Nicholas' office and, for the first time, Silver actually got to see what the man looked like. He had a black beard, curly black hair, dark brown skin, and wore a blue button-up shirt with beige pants under his white lab coat.

His eyes were soft and sympathetic as he pointed to two chairs and said, with a thick Indian accent, "Please, sit down."

Silver and Gold did as they were bid, but Gold still kept his tight hold on Silver's hand. Not that Silver was complaining. If this was what Gold needed, he was happy to oblige. God knows there was nothing else he could do to make this any easier.

Dr. Nicholas took a seat behind his desk as well and began, "I'm sure you're both deeply curious as to what occurred with Miranda. I will explain if you are ready."

Silver wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready to have this conversation, but he also knew there was no point in delaying it. However, what really mattered to him was whether Gold was ready. He turned to his shaken lover and looked at him with questioning eyes. Gold met his gaze and seemed either unwilling or unable to speak as he simply nodded. Silver then turned back to Dr. Nicholas and nodded as well.

The older man leaned forward with his elbows on the desk. "As I'm sure you're both aware, the treatment was working very well. I was optimistic that Miranda would make a full recovery. But what happened to her had nothing to do with her cancer or the treatment."

Silver's eyes went wide, and every hair on his body stood on end. What was he saying? If it wasn't the cancer that killed her, how could she suddenly die like that? It didn't make any sense.

His confusion must've been evident on his face because Dr. Nicholas went on, "Miranda's sudden death was caused by a stroke brought about by the rupturing of a brain aneurysm."

Gold's hand tightened around Silver's, and Silver glanced at him in time to see the utter bafflement come over his features. The younger man's lips trembled and his voice shook when he said, "A... brain aneurysm?"

Dr. Nicholas nodded. "They are a common occurence. Something as simple as a bump on the head can cause one, and Miranda's formed right about here."

The doctor pointed to a spot on his own forehead, a spot Silver and Gold both recognized in an instant. It was the exact place Miranda had bumped her head when she fell down the stairs all those months ago. Silver's disbelief was matched only by the sickness that formed in his stomach. If this was true, if a brain aneurysm had truly been the thing that killed Miranda, why the hell hadn't the good doctor found it and fixed it before this happened?

He tried to keep the anger from his voice, but he knew he hadn't succeeded when he snapped, "You guys have been taking scans of her brain for months now! How did you not see that!?"

He immediately regretted getting so irate with Dr. Nicholas. Silver knew he didn't know anything about medicine, so his anger was hardly reasonable.

Dr. Nicholas, probably having dealt with grieving family members for decades now, remained totally calm and answered, "Miranda's tumor was in a completely different part of the brain, so most of the scans did not feature the area where the aneurysm appeared. It was also very small, so the chances of us seeing it were slim."

The doctor then sighed heavily and said, "On top of that, we often rely on the patient complaining about certain symptoms in order to diagnose a brain aneurysm. Unfortunately, the tumor made Miranda exhibit many of the same symptoms that a brain aneurysm causes, so we never suspected she had one."

Silver was hearing the words spoken, and he knew Dr. Nicholas knew what he was talking about, but that didn't make this any easier to fathom. Silver had been holding onto the fact that, despite Miranda dying, he'd made a difference. His running off to the vault, getting that money, and paying for Miranda's treatment, he'd needed to believe that mattered. But now, now he was learning it never mattered. There was nothing he could have done that would have prevented Miranda from dying because, by the time he'd gotten the money, Miranda had already hit her head. The aneurysm had just been sitting there, like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any minute. How? How was Silver supposed to accept something so ridiculous? This wasn't closure. This was the universe laughing in their faces.

Gold, however, didn't seem to share in Silver's anger because his face didn't change. He still looked devastated and utterly inconsolable, but there wasn't a hint of rage in his features. His eyes stayed locked on the floor when he asked, "When she died... was she in pain?"

All at once, Silver felt like the biggest ass hole on the face of the planet. For the past several minutes, Silver had been focused entirely on how angry he was at this whole situation. Now here was Gold, worrying about whether or not Miranda had been in pain when she died. The man truly didn't have a selfish bone in his body.

Dr. Nicholas smiled warmly when he answered, "I am told she was discovered by Professor Elm sitting straight up on the couch with her head leaning forward as if she'd fallen asleep. So it's likely she experienced, at worst, only mild discomfort before she passed."

If learning Miranda's death had been virtually painless was supposed to be comforting, it wasn't. Not in the slightest. At least, not for Silver. When Silver looked at Gold, however, Silver could see a small sliver of calm start to leak through the younger man's anguished expression. That was enough to make Silver grateful for Dr. Nicholas' words, even if they did nothing to comfort  _him_.

"I know," Dr. Nicholas said, "that this is a lot to take in at the moment. If you need some time, I understand. But when you're ready, we do have more to discuss, concerning Miranda's will."

Gold's eyes went slightly wider, which told Silver he'd been just as clueless about a will as he had been. When had Miranda written a will, and why hadn't she mentioned it before? Dr. Nicholas seemed equally surprised and asked, "She didn't mention she'd written a will?"

Gold spoke up before Silver could and said, "No. She didn't like me dwelling on the fact that she was dying, so she probably kept me in the dark on purpose."

That's right. Gold  _had_  mentioned that before. Miranda had preferred if her illness was never mentioned at all, which was why Silver was so discomforted when she'd talked about it on Christmas Day. His chest stung at the thought of that conversation. He'd pushed it to the back of his mind because he'd been so certain she was going to survive, but now it seemed too much like a premonition.

Dr. Nicholas leaned back in his chair and said, "Well, regardless, only part of the will concerns the hospital, so I will leave the rest for you to discuss with your partner."

He then shifted some papers around and drew out a stack of stapled ones. He pushed them across the desk, and Gold took them. Silver glanced over Gold's shoulder and saw a section highlighted in yellow.

"It is expressly stated," Dr. Nicholas said, "that Miranda did not desire a funeral and instead wished to be cremated. As I'm sure you're aware, the crematorium is here in the hospital, so we are legally bound to hold her remains here until you are ready for her to be cremated."

At first, Silver wasn't sure if Gold had even been listening as his eyes had been entirely focused on the will. But, once Dr. Nicholas was done speaking, Gold raised his head to look at the doctor and said, "Okay."

Gold's tone was so flat that Silver wasn't entirely sure if he was bothered by this news or not. It didn't surprise Silver that Miranda didn't want a funeral or a burial. Funerals were expensive, after all, and she and Gold weren't exactly wealthy. But it was entirely possible that Gold had planned on having one regardless.

Standing from his chair, Dr. Nicholas pushed a button on his phone and called in a nurse. A few moments later, the door opened and a slender, red-haired nurse walked into the room carrying a clipboard and a pen.

Dr. Nicholas motioned in her direction and said, "If you are ready, Janice will take you to see Miranda's remains."

 _Remains_. It was times like this that Silver cursed the English language for not having a greater variety of words. Every time Dr. Nicholas said that word, it dug into Silver like a knife stuck between his ribs. But he said nothing and turned to Gold, silently asking if he was ready. It was obvious by the shifting of Gold's expression that he wasn't ready, but could a person ever truly be ready for something like this? Still, Gold shakily got to his feet, and Silver made sure to keep a tight grip on his hand as they followed Janice out of the room.

She led them silently down several hallways, passing by patient's rooms that permeated that hospital smell that everyone knows but they don't talk about because it would be impolite. They reached a room with a giant window for them to look through. Inside of the room was a gurney, and on the gurney was what Silver could only assume was Miranda's body, covered from head to toe in a white sheet. Just as he had at the door to the hospital, Gold stopped and his feet glued themselves to the floor. Janice halted just short of the door when she realized she wasn't being followed anymore and stood by, obviously pretending to read whatever was on her clipboard.

Gold's eyes were firmly locked on the outline of the body beneath the sheet, and his whole body was shivering. His grip on Silver's hand was so tight it threatened to cut off circulation, and the redhead knew this was going to be one of the hardest parts of the day. Knowing Miranda was dead, that was already terrible enough, but seeing her body, that was another thing entirely. He took a step closer to Gold and raised his free hand to gently run it through his hair.

Gold's eyes slammed shut and he shook his head before mumbling, "I don't think I can do this."

Silver was momentarily stunned to silence by the tone in Gold's voice. Not even when he'd first given Silver the news about Miranda had Gold sounded as pitiful as he did right now. His voice cracked, and it sounded like he would break out into sobs if he tried to speak again. Once again, Silver felt his own devastation start to rise to the surface, along with a feeling of utter helplessness. He'd known watching Gold go through this was going to be impossibly hard, but with every passing moment, it only became more difficult. He wanted to help him more than anything, but no amount of comfort he could offer would come even close to stemming the pain Gold was feeling. Still, Silver knew he had to do something, so he, once again, shoved down his own pain. He lay a soft kiss on Gold's temple before resting his forehead against the side of Gold's head.

"You  _can_ ," Silver told him. "Because you  _have_  to. If you let them take her away before you get to see her, you'll never forgive yourself."

Gold's body tensed at his words, and Silver heard a sniffle, which let him know that Gold was probably about to cry again. However, he seemed to acknowledge that Silver was right because he started moving toward the door Janice was still standing in front of. The young nurse smiled warmly at them and opened the door, allowing them to walk in first. The two of them approached the gurney and stood on one side while Janice moved to the other side. She looked at the two of them, seemingly wondering if they were ready. Silver glanced at Gold right as he nodded. All of the air was instantly expelled from Silver's lungs when Janice pulled back the sheet and his eyes fell onto Miranda's still, pale face.

She was missing her headscarf, which was an immediate punch to the gut as, when she'd been alive, she didn't like to be seen without it. For that reason, Silver wanted to find something, anything to cover her head with. An irrational reaction to be certain, but rational thought was becoming more and more difficult to hold on to.

Janice then headed toward the door and said, "I'll give you two a few minutes. I'll be back with some forms."

Silver heard her, and he knew he should have acknowledged her to avoid being rude, but the nurse's feelings were the last thing on his mind. Seeing Miranda's body, he'd said himself that it was going to be far different from simply hearing the news. But now, staring at her empty face, he could see just how right he'd been. It was as if something abstract had just been given form. He was staring at the body, so it was real now. She was dead. Miranda... was dead.

Numbness. That was the first feeling that took over in those moments. And that numbness very nearly prevented him from hearing it when the door behind them opened. He glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar blue-haired woman approaching Gold quickly. For the first time since they'd entered the hospital, Gold released Silver's hand and went to Crystal. They hugged each other close and proceeded to cry on each other's shoulders.

Loneliness took over then. While Silver knew it was natural that Gold and Crystal would want to comfort each other in those moments, he hadn't realize that Gold holding onto his hand had been helping  _him_  as well. And with Crystal now there, taking some of the burden of comforting Gold off of Silver, the redhead faced the emergence of his own emotions yet again.

Miranda... she looked so peaceful, like she was asleep and she would open her eyes any second and start joking about how she was just playing dead. And as he kept looking on at her face, he couldn't stop his brain from dragging up memories, memories he didn't need to be thinking about.

_Oh dear, no. Just call me Miranda._

_I still look better than you did the night we met._

_I want you to hear me when I say that I trust_ you _, Silver,_ completely.

_Hush, dear. That's what moms are for._

_You really are_ good _, Silver._

_I love you too, dear._

His fists were now clenched so tightly that his fingernails were digging into his palms. He'd been under no delusions about this day being one of the most painful of his entire life, but he couldn't have forseen the stomach-turning anguish that invaded his entire body when those memories started surfacing. He needed a distraction, and he needed one now, otherwise he was going to break down, and he couldn't afford to do that. Not yet. Not while Gold still needed him to stay strong for him.

A voice, a soft voice broke through Silver's thoughts and asked, "Are you his husband?"

Silver recognized the voice immediately as the nurse who'd just left. He looked at her, and he knew his face was grave as her eyes narrowed slightly as soon as he met her gaze. He shook his head and forced out an answer, "No, we're... not married."

A frown formed on her face before she said, "Well then I'll need him to sign this. It's a form about the cremation."

It wasn't the distraction Silver had wanted, but it was a distraction nonetheless, so he would take it. Turning back to Gold, he reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. The younger man pulled away from Crystal and turned around, his face red and his eyes puffy from sobbing.

Silver pointed over his shoulder and said, "She needs you to sign some papers."

Gold weakly raised his arms to wipe his face and blew out a heavy breath before walking past Silver and following Janice out of the room. The door clicked closed behind them, and Silver was, once again, left with nothing but the silence of the room. Crystal, who had since cleaned off her own face, stood beside him, and he could feel her eyes on him.

"You haven't cried yet," she said matter of factly.

 _Damn her_. She'd always been far too observant for her own good. He shifted his feet uncomfortably and didn't answer, determined to hold onto his resolve.

"And I can tell it's not because you don't want to," she went on. "You're holding back. Why?"

He would have thought the answer was obvious, but it seemed he would have to explain. Forcing his voice to remain calm, he said, "One of us has to hold it together, and it can't be him. She was his mom."

Crystal's eyebrows ran together, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "She was  _yours_  too."

Those words. Crystal couldn't have picked a worse thing to say in that moment. Standing here, looking down on Miranda's body, it was already pushing Silver to his absolute limits. But this, thinking about how he'd allowed himself to start seeing Miranda as his mom, he couldn't handle that on top of everything else.

So he shook his head, swallowed heavily, and said, "Don't."

She squeezed his shoulder lightly. "Silver, you need-"

"What  _I_  need doesn't matter right now!" he snapped.

He instantly regretted snapping at her, just as he had when he'd done it to Dr. Nicholas. But holding in his emotions, he'd never been very good at it. He'd always released them, usually through anger. And right now, he couldn't allow himself to release them any other way. If he did...

The door to the room opened again, and Gold returned to his place next to the gurney. Silver knew what he needed to do next. He needed to go back to holding Gold's hand and trying to offer him comfort. But right now, after remembering the times he'd spent with Miranda and after Crystal's heartbreaking words, he couldn't. He needed to get away for just a few minutes if he was going to clear his head. Turning to Gold he, once again, kissed his temple, hopefully letting him know that he wasn't going anywhere. Silver's feet were heavier than they'd ever been when he left the room and headed down the hallway to a nearby restroom.

 _Keep it together_ , he kept telling himself.  _You don't have a choice._

He pushed the restroom door open and headed straight for the nearby sinks. He pressed his hands into the sink and leaned onto it. He looked at himself in the mirror and wasn't surprised to see that he looked absolutely wretched. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was even paler than normal. He took a deep breath and exhaled it heavily, and it seemed to help, if only a little.

He heard the creaking of the bathroom door opening and instinctively turned his head to see who was walking in. His eyes widened at the sight of his father approaching him wearing his brown trench coat. Silver turned his gaze back to the sink and didn't say anything. Speaking was too difficult right now.

His father moved to his side and said, "Crystal called me. How are you holding up, Son?"

Silver scoffed. "How do you think?"

Giovanni crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. "You're right. It was a stupid question."

After a short silence, Giovanni asked, "What are you doing in here?"

Silver didn't look at his father when he answered, "Trying to get my shit together."

Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "No one is expecting you to keep anything together, Silver. You need-"

Another wave of anger took Silver, and he slammed his hands onto the counter before exclaiming, "Can everyone just  _stop_  trying to tell me what I need?!"

Unsurprisingly, Giovanni was neither intimidated nor bothered by Silver's outburst. In fact, he didn't even flinch. He simply stood by and listened as Silver went on.

"What I  _need_  is for Miranda to still be alive!" he snapped. "So unless you're gonna make that happen, don't try to tell me what I need!"

Like he had the past two times, he instantly felt terrible for yelling at his father. It seemed everyone he ran into today besides Gold was going to wind up being a victim of one of his outbursts. As he figured Giovanni might, the old man reached a hand out and tried to place it on Silver's shoulder. Silver recoiled and backed away, knowing that if he allowed his father to comfort him, all of his attempts to keep his sadness in check would be for naught.

Giovanni seemed to understand as he withdrew his hand and said, "All right, Son."

As a final measure, Silver ran the cold water in the sink and doused his face. The cool liquid was soothing, and provided him just enough relief to drag himself away from the counter. He dried his face with some paper towels and headed for the bathroom door.

After he and Giovanni emerged from the bathroom, Silver found Crystal and Gold leaving the room with Miranda's body with the nurse close behind them. Gold approached him and he looked as drained as Silver would expect him to be. Having calmed himself as much as he reasonably could, Silver felt comfortable enough to reach for Gold's hand again.

Gold accepted it. and, with a flat voice, said, "Crystal told me that Professor Elm was the one who had Mom's will. And since she didn't want a funeral, I'm sure you can guess what she wanted instead."

Gold didn't even have to give him a hint. "A barbecue?"

Gold nodded, and his lip twitched as if he wanted to smile but couldn't. Of course. Of course Miranda would want them holding a barbecue in her memory instead of a funeral. Although it was discomforting to think of someone else cooking the sides apart from Miranda.

"Mrs. Elm is gonna cook the sides," Gold explained. "And Sheriff Jim is doing the grilling, so all we have to do is show up... with Mom's ashes."

Silver's stomach turned again at the word "ashes." He'd heard Dr. Nicholas clearly and he knew Miranda's wishes should be honored, but he hated the fact that those few moments in that cold room was the last time he would see her face. Still, there was no point in dragging out the cremation. It had to happen, and spending a few more minutes staring at Miranda's still face wasn't going to change that.

Gold tightened his grip on Silver's hand and said, "Dr. Nicholas said he should be able to have her ashes ready within the next couple of hours. Crystal said she'd come back and pick them up so we don't have to."

Too drained to give any sort of verbal response, Silver nodded as Gold led him toward the exit of the hospital. He couldn't be done with this place soon enough.

* * *

The barbecue. Never had Silver imagined that the thing Miranda was most known for would one day bring him such pain. He was surrounded by the same fold-out chairs, tables, and types of food that Miranda always cooked for the barbecues. The smells were the same, the people were the same, but there was one essential thing missing. He sat with his plate of untouched food and couldn't escape the discomfort that Miranda's absence was bringing him. It didn't feel right to be at a barbecue and not hear her cheery voice chatting with the neighbors or see her fussing over the food. It didn't feel right to see someone else providing the sides and someone else cooking at the grill.

No. None of this was right. It was all wrong. Every bit of it.

Gold, at least, was putting forth an effort to talk to people, despite their words of condolences being less than comforting. Silver didn't dare try. He'd already taken out his anger on three different people today. The last thing he wanted was to risk making a scene in the middle of what was essentially Miranda's funeral. So he sat in one of the fold-out chairs near the dessert table and kept his eyes trained on the ground, only raising his head when someone would approach him to offer condolences. But even then, all he gave them was a simple nod, which sent them walking in the other direction as quickly as they could to avoid the awkward silence he would leave them with.

Eventually, Gold seemed to notice that he hadn't moved from his chair since making his food as the younger man pulled a chair up beside him and sat down. Silver was jolted to attention by Gold placing a hand on the back of his head.

His touch was gentle and his voice soothing when he said, "You really should eat something, Silver. I know you haven't eaten anything today."

He knew Gold was right. His stomach was completely empty, and the hunger pains had already started hours ago. But they had been overshadowed quickly after the visit to the hospital. He didn't want Gold to worry, though, so he forced himself to take a few bites at least. As he'd suspected, the food tasted similar to Miranda's and Gold's but not the same. The potato salad was sweeter, the meat was dryer, and the baked beans were more bland. He knew he shouldn't be so critical of the food. No doubt, Mrs. Elm and the Sheriff had worked equally as hard as Gold and Miranda always had, but his mind couldn't get past the fact that he was never going to eat something made by Miranda again.

After stomaching as much as he could, Silver put his plate to the side and downed the cup of water in his other hand. His own dehydration was then made obvious when the water wasn't anywhere near enough to quench his thirst. Before he was able to get up to make himself another glass, Gold took the cup from him and headed over to the water jug to presumably make it for him.

The younger man returned, and after he sat down, he said, "Silver, do you remember when you sat with me during John's funeral?"

Of course he remembered. It was the first time he'd seen Gold truly break down. How could he possibly forget that? He nodded and took the now-full cup of water from Gold.

The younger man took one of Silver's hands and said, "You were the one who convinced me to stop holding back, so why are  _you_  doing it now?"

Now? If Gold had asked him that question earlier that day, he'd have told him it was for him. But it stopped being about that as soon as the barbecue started and Gold began mingling. Silver had reached his limit, and now the only thing stopping him from knocking down the wall he'd built around his anguish was the fact that he couldn't bear to show that side of himself in front of all of these people. Smiling with them, laughing with them, those were one thing. But showing such vulnerability in front of them? He couldn't do it. He didn't know most of them. He didn't trust most of them. He didn't feel safe with  _any_  of them. Right now, with Miranda gone, Gold was his only safety.

He took a few swigs of the water and truthfully answered, "I just... can't yet."

The hand holding his released its hold and moved up to run through his hair again. Gold then scooted his chair closer, leaned in, and kissed Silver's temple before nuzzling him as he'd done several times. Gold was trying very hard to offer some form of comfort, but not even the gentle touch of his lover could calm the storm raging inside of Silver. Still, he wasn't going to risk hurting Gold by giving him no response at all, so he turned his head to meet the younger man's eyes.

Just as they had been all day, those yellow orbs were heavy with grief, though Gold was bearing it much better than he had a few hours before. That strength Gold was exhibiting, Silver wanted terribly to draw from it. If he could do that, maybe getting through the rest of this day would be slightly easier. And, at that moment, he would take any amount of alleviation he could get. So he did the only thing he could think to do. He moved in closer to try to capture Gold's lips. Before they could make contact, however, Gold's attention was yanked away and he looked past Silver.

The redhead turned and saw Crystal approaching with Dr. Nicholas right behind her. In her hands was a red box, and Silver's stomach lurched as he knew very well what was in there. In perfect unison, Silver and Gold both stood and approached Crystal. Gold reached his hands out for the box and Crystal gave it without hesitation, seemingly discomforted by carrying it. Not that Silver could blame her. They were human ashes, after all.

Professor Elm had already explained that Miranda had wanted her ashes scattered in the river near their house, so now all Silver and Gold had to do was scatter them. It seemed an easy enough thing on the surface, but Silver knew easy was the last thing this was gonna be. This was it. This would be them essentially closing the lid on Miranda's coffin and putting her in the ground. There was absolutely nothing easy about that. Knowing Gold would need him for this, Silver put an arm around his shoulders and led him toward the river's edge. Gold's steps were hesitant and light, and his eyes stayed trained on the ground as they moved.

When they reached the river, there were tiny waves washing up onto the shore from a passing boat, but other than that there was total silence. Every person at the barbecue had halted their speech, waiting for the ashes to be scattered. Silver knew they were only doing it out of respect, but that didn't make the silence any less awkward or discomforting. He heard the popping sound of the lid coming off of the red box, and he turned to see Gold start to tilt it. Some of the ashes made it to the very edge of the opening when the tilting stopped, and Gold's hands froze in place. Silver had expected this, but that didn't make it any less gut-wrenching.

Gold's yellow eyes were gaping straight ahead over the water and his knees were shaking wildly. Silver couldn't imagine the typhoon of thoughts and emotions that were crashing around inside of Gold's head in those moments, but he knew one thing: he couldn't make Gold do this alone. Someone had to share this burden, and it may as well be him. So Silver gently nudged his hand against the bottom of the box, tilting it forward even more, all the while stepping closer to Gold and letting his other arm grasp him tightly around the waist. The ashes started to spill out, and Silver heard Gold's breath hitch in response. The younger man's grip on the box tightened, preventing it from tilting anymore.

Silver knew why Gold was hesitating, and he hated that Gold had to do this. Silver wanted to wave a magic wand and make the past two days never happen. He wanted to snap his fingers and make Miranda appear beside them, alive and healthy. He didn't want to watch the man he loved be forced to scatter his mother's ashes and say goodbye to her forever. All of this, every bit of it, was completely unfair in every way.

But, this had to be done. It's what Miranda wanted. And if they loved her, they had to carry out her wishes, no matter how painful it might be. Silver turned his head to press his forehead against Gold's temple and, with as calm a voice as he could muster, he whispered, "You can do this."

Silver felt Gold's tension lessen by only an iota, but that amount seemed to give him enough relief to loosen his hold on the box. With Silver's help, Gold finished tilting the box forward, and the ashes spilled out. Most of it fell into the water, but some of it was carried by the wind out over the water where it disappeared into the horizon. But with that action, the tension Gold had lost came back, plus some. His hands began to tremble as the box fell from them and into the dirt. He'd kept his eyes dry throughout the entire barbecue, but with the scattering of the ashes, Silver saw tears welling up again.

As soon as it happened, Silver felt Gold's muscles give out, and he held him steady as he lowered him to his knees. Gold's entire body seemed to collapse into Silver at that moment, and while he could tell Gold was crying, the younger man made no sound.

* * *

After the barbecue was over, Silver and Gold both discovered that they couldn't bear staying in Gold's house. So, after saying farewell to everyone, they both flew back to Silver's house. It was evening by the time they made it back, and when they went inside, neither of them seemed to be able to speak a word to the other. Whether it was due to grief or them simply having nothing to say, Silver wasn't sure, but the silence was deafening. Gold went off to the bathroom, and Silver suddenly found the room to be too big and too empty, so he went to the bedroom.

Without thinking, Silver glanced in the direction of the nightstand, and his eyes locked on the picture that was sitting there, his Christmas gift from Gold. Against his will, his eyes were drawn to Miranda's face. She was smiling the same warm, loving smile he'd seen nearly every time she'd looked at him, a smile that, unless he looked at pictures, he was never going to see again. But even the picture was insufficient. That smile, it had nearly always come along with one of her sarcastic quips or an "I love you." Those were gone now, too, along with that calm, soothing voice that had never failed to lift his spirits no matter how upset he might've been.

That voice. His chest seemed to crack in two and his eyes welled instantly with tears when he realized he couldn't hear it. He was trying, as hard as he could, but he couldn't make himself remember her voice. No. It was too soon. She  _just_  died. He couldn't have forgotten what she sounded like already. His heart hammered his chest relentlessly and he tried to force himself to concentrate.

 _Remember it_ , he told himself  _You have to. She'll fade away otherwise_.

Deep in concentration, Silver didn't hear it when Gold came into the bedroom and approached him from behind. The younger man reached for Silver and placed a hand against his back. Silver's whole body violently twitched at the contact, and he tore his eyes away from the photo. He could see and feel his whole body trembling, and it wasn't until this moment that he noticed how tightly his fists were clenched.

Through his grief, he heard Gold say, "Silver?"

His mind was still so heavily focused on trying to remember the voice, he didn't answer Gold right away. And that, evidently, worried the younger man because Gold walked around to the front of Silver and took him by the shoulders.

Silver heard the concern in his voice when Gold said, "Silver, you have to calm down. You're gonna pass out if you keep breathing like that."

Breathing? What was he talking about? That was when Silver felt it, the light-headedness and the stinging pain in his chest. How long had he been releasing such heavy breaths, and how had he not noticed? He didn't know, but he couldn't stop. The thought of not remembering Miranda's voice, it was too terrifying, too overwhelming.

Still, through the gasps for air, Silver managed to say, "Her voice... I can't remember it."

Gold's eyes misted over and grew wide at Silver's words. Silver was equally shocked by the sound of his own voice. He'd never heard himself sound so defeated, so broken. Before Silver even saw him move, Gold's hand was in his own pocket and he drew out his pokegear. After pushing a few buttons, he held the phone up to Silver's ear, and Silver's breathing slowed to a halt at the sound that came out of it.

" _Hello, dear. It's your mother. I've called both of you several times now and no one is answering. Dr. Nicholas called me and said he wants to meet to discuss some things, so if you're not here in an hour, I'm going without you. I love you, dear_."

Silver remembered that day. Dr. Nicholas had called out of nowhere and, of course, that had been one of the days he and Gold had decided to sleep in so neither of them heard her calls. He remembered Gold scrambling to put on his clothes and full-on sprinting out of the door, almost forgetting to say goodbye. It was a fond memory, one that slowed his heartbeat slightly and seemed to draw him out of what would probably have turned into an anxiety attack. Miranda. Even from beyond the grave she still managed to calm him down.

With his light-headedness gone and his heartbeat slowed, Silver blew out one heavy breath and sat down on the bed. Gold took a seat next to him and slid one of his arms around his waist. Silver's eyes traveled back to the picture, and words he'd been holding in all day found their way to the surface of his mind.

His voice was quiet when he said, "She never judged me. Not once."

He zeroed in on Miranda's face in the photo, and he felt Gold's other hand grasp one of his. Unlike the other times Gold had tried this today, the touch actually did sooth him, even if only a little. Although it did nothing to stop the tears that were escaping Silver's eyes.

"Every time I meet someone new," Silver said, "They always get this look on their face, like they know... what I used to be. I don't know if I just  _look_  like a massive ass hole, or what, but..."

He thought back to the first time he met Miranda, and more tears stung his eyes. His voice cracked and shook when he said, "She never had it, that look. She just... accepted me."

His chest wrenched again for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and he held back a sob before saying, "And now she's..."

Something inside of him cracked, and he wasn't able to finish the sentence. Just like he had when he'd learned the truth about Ariana, he fell completely apart. Only this time, he knew picking himself back up wouldn't be anywhere near as easy. He felt the hard knot in his throat, he heard the sound of his own sobs, and he could taste the tears that were pouring from his eyes like a water hose. But the most dominant feeling of all was the sheer and utter despair that had taken root in him. It had been slowly blooming all throughout the day, but now that he'd stopped holding himself back, it was out in full force. Nothing he'd ever felt in his entire life compared to this, this feeling of having an entire piece of him forcibly ripped off. And he knew he wasn't getting that piece back. It blew away with Miranda's ashes.

Time stopped for him in those moments, so he had no idea how long he cried for. Could have been a few minutes, could have been an hour. But when he had finally sobbed enough to alleviate some of his burden, he realized his face had been pressed into Gold's chest and the younger man was squeezing him as if his life depended on it. He pried his head away, and started to try to clean off his face when Gold's hands were suddenly grasping his cheeks and pulling him down into a kiss that was just as desperate as it was surprising.

Had he been in his right mind, Silver might have resisted, knowing that Gold was only doing this because he was seeking comfort, but, at that moment, Silver wanted comfort too, so he relented without a fight. Like he had many times before, Gold positioned himself on Silver's lap and hooked his arms around Silver's neck. The embrace was tight, and Silver could feel the absolute need behind it. His own need was just as great, so he held onto Gold as well and pushed hard against his lips. When Gold went for his shirt, however, Silver was forced to snap himself out of his trance and reach to stop him.

Their lips came apart, and Silver held Gold's face gingerly between his hands when he said, "Gold... I'm not in my right mind. If you start this... I'm not gonna be able to hold back."

Rather than discourage Gold, those words seemed to only drive him forward as he kissed Silver again, this time sucking Silver's lower lip into his mouth and biting down. Silver was too flustered to fight it, and his whole body came alive with goosebumps when Gold broke the kiss and whispered, "Then don't."

A light clicked on in Silver's head, and all thoughts of hesitation left him. The only thing his mind could process was:  _this feels good_. And after spending the entire day suffering, he couldn't help but grasp onto that  _good_  and hold on tight.

Taking Gold by his hips, Silver stood, turned around, and lowered him down onto the bed. While keeping his eyes trained on his lover's face, Silver stripped out of his shirt and flung it to the side. Without wasting a second, he crawled over top of Gold and kissed him, harder this time. Gold let out an absolutely fraught moan and pushed his tongue past Silver's lips without hesitation. The longer the kiss went on, the hotter Silver's chest burned, and the more control he lost over his already shaken senses.  _Touch him more. Make him moan louder._  His brain repeated those phrases over and over, and his hands moved to obey.

He slid Gold's shirt all the way up, exposing everything from abs to collar bone. In response, Gold yanked the garment the rest of the way off himself, and Silver was absolutely delighted to see that Gold's nipples had already perked up, despite them not even being touched yet. Silver pinched one of them between his fingers and swirled his tongue over the other one, resulting in one of those impatient moans he was so used to hearing. He knew how the teasing drove Gold insane, and right now, insane was where he wanted him. The louder Gold moaned, the better he felt, and the more enthusiastic he became, the easier Silver could push down the torment and focus on the gorgeous man underneath him.

It didn't take long for Gold to become annoyed, however, and he made his frustrations known by snaking one of his hands down to grasp Silver's groin through his jeans. The redhead's eyes closed and he muffled his moan by holding his mouth shut. Silver raised his head away from Gold's chest and when he opened his eyes again, he saw the irresistible mixture of arousal and irritation painting his lover's face.

Silver's erection throbbed painfully when Gold said, "Stop fucking around."

While Silver always enjoyed watching Gold absolutely fall apart from pleasure, he loved these moments, when he would smart off and taunt him, just as much. So he let himself fall for the taunt and swiftly relieved Gold of the rest of his clothing. When Gold's erection bobbed into place, Silver saw the clear pre-cum coating the tip, and it only added fuel to the inferno. He wanted to try something new, something he'd wanted to do last time, but Gold's insistence on being in charge had prevented it. Taking Gold by his hips again, Silver flipped the younger man over and dragged his exposed ass closer, which forced Gold to arch into a lewd position that only piled on top of Silver's already exploding arousal.

Gold just managed to get out, "Hey, what are you-?"

Forgoing a verbal answer, Silver lowered his lips onto the warm, tight muscles that made up Gold's twitching entrance. Before Gold had time to adjust to this new feeling, Silver let the tip of his tongue trace a circle around the sensitive spot. A gasp, followed by a shocked cry escaped from Gold, and he pushed back against Silver's mouth. Whether Gold did this consciously or it was simply an instinctual reaction to being touched in such a way, Silver wasn't sure, but it encouraged him regardless. He didn't attempt to hold back any of the saliva that stared dripping from his lips and instead let it coat the entire area he was servicing. It would need lubrication anyway. As he continued on kissing and lapping, he caught glimpses of Gold's entire upper body trembling, and he saw Gold attempting to sink his teeth into one of the pillows.

A twinge of annoyance caused Silver to reach out and tear the pillow away. Gold looked back at him, and the arousal behind his eyes was beyond delicious. Wanting to make sure he was not misunderstood, Silver said, "Don't. I want to hear you."

Without waiting for a response, Silver finally pushed two of his fingers into the now-soaked hole in front of him. As he'd expected, Gold cried out in rapture, and his fists gripped the sheets tightly. After teasing him so much, Gold was already incredibly soft inside, so Silver didn't have to do much preparation before he was able to slip in a third and fourth finger. Like they had a few moments before, Gold's hips pressed back against Silver's hand, and forced the fingers in even deeper. And that action finally removed the final shred of control Silver had over himself. He yanked his fingers out of Gold, and went for his own jeans. After freeing himself from the confines of his clothing, Silver quickly coated his erection in his own saliva and pressed it against Gold's inviting warmth.

He noticed it too late, but as soon as he pushed himself inside he felt it. Gold had tensed, not just slightly, but a lot. He could tell because, despite the preparation, he had trouble sheathing himself completely. And right after he noticed the tension, he heard Gold's voice shout, "Stop!"

Silver's breathing halted, and his heart seemed to stop at the tone Gold was using. There wasn't a hint of arousal in his voice anymore. No. That had been a plea, a desperate plea for Silver to cease what he was doing. He could feel his stomach turn with nausea as he withdrew himself from Gold and the younger man rolled on his side. His face was pressed into the sheet, and his entire body was shaking worse than it had that night Silver had visited him in the hospital.

What had he done? He'd been certain he'd prepared Gold enough to avoid hurting him. Had he done something wrong? Had he been so lost in his own arousal that he hadn't noticed Gold saying "no" until he shouted it at him? No. No no no. He couldn't have. He'd been listening to him. That was why he'd stopped him from muffling himself with the pillow. There was no way he'd hurt Gold... right?

His voice shook when he asked, "Gold, what... What did I...?"

He didn't answer. In fact, he didn't seem to be able to. Whatever Silver had done had left Gold completely beside himself. A greater weight than Silver had ever felt crashed down on him, and he quickly backed away from the bed until his back hit the closet door. He'd hurt him. He'd hurt Gold. His eyes remained wide, and his fists clenched. How had he let this happen? Gold had trusted him, completely, and now he'd...

He couldn't bear to be near him anymore, not now. Not after what he'd just done. He turned and headed toward the bedroom door, only to be stopped by Gold exclaiming, "Wait, Silver! Don't go!"

Silver's eyes went even wider and he turned back. He saw Gold shakily pushing himself up, which was obviously difficult due to the strain Silver had put on his lower body. Part way through trying to lift himself, however, Gold's arms seemed to give out and he flopped right back down. So the younger man settled for rolling over to face Silver, and Silver's chest stung at the sight of tears leaking from Gold's eyes.

Gold held a hand out and said, "Come back. Please."

Silver had no idea what was going on, but his body moved to answer Gold's plea. He climbed onto the bed next to Gold, and the younger man rolled again so that he was snuggled up against Silver. Being as gentle as possible, Silver wrapped an arm around his trembling lover, and ran his other hand through his dark hair.

Hoping to clear the air, Silver asked, "What happened, Gold? What did I-?"

"It wasn't you," Gold interrupted. "I swear it wasn't. You didn't do anything wrong."

Okay now Silver was really confused. If it wasn't something he'd done, then why would Gold react that way? Gold's hand shook as he brought it up to rest on Silver's chest and he said, "If this had been any other day, I probably could have dealt with it better, but... that position... I can't do it."

Position? Gold was reduced to tears from Silver trying to take him from behind? It was true, they'd only gone all the way one time, but Gold had never mentioned being so terrified of any specific position. He clearly  _was_  terrified, though, which could only mean one thing: Anthony. It wouldn't have surprised Silver at all to learn that Anthony had only ever allowed that position. This was just one more bit of trauma the brute had left Gold with, a trauma Silver would have to show great patience with if he was going to help Gold overcome it. But they wouldn't be doing that tonight.

Silver turned his head and kissed Gold on the forehead. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have tried it."

Gold exhaled heavily and shook his head. A couple more tears leaked out of his eyes and Silver felt them drip onto his chest. The younger man tensed up again as he said, "I didn't think about it. All I was thinking about was trying to put us back in that bubble we were in last night. I wanted to shut out everything else again and just  _be_  with you, but I guess I should have known better."

Silver understood that sentiment perfectly well as he'd been  _just_  as eager to shut out everything else as Gold had been. But Gold was right. There was no way, after going through what they went through today, that they were going to be able to climb back in that bubble. Even if they'd managed to make love properly, it likely wouldn't have helped. There was no way they could shut out everything, but Silver did have an idea of how they might escape for a while.

He took one of Gold's hands and said, "Let's go to the cabin."

Gold turned his head to peer up at Silver with questioning eyes. The redhead forced a half-smile and said, "It's not exactly a "bubble," but it's pretty isolated, so we can get away from everything for a while."

Gold seemed to like the idea as his lips also curled into a weak smile before he nodded and said, "That actually sounds amazing."

After watching Gold suffer for pretty much the entire day, it was good to see a smile on his face, even if it was a weak one. Keeping his firm grip on Gold, Silver drew the blanket over the both of them and shifted a bit into a more comfortable position. He then used his other hand to tilt Gold's face upward so that he might kiss him.

"I love you," Silver whispered against Gold's lips.

Gold didn't smile again, but Silver saw his eyes gain just a tiny bit of luster before he responded, "I love you, too."

After that, both of them settled into their positions, and Silver hoped that, just maybe, tonight he might be able to sleep.


	20. The Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about how long it took to get this one finished. I am nine months pregnant, about to pop any day, and sitting up writing for extended periods of time is hard on my back. I will do my absolute best to get the next chapter out more quickly. This IS almost over, after all. :D

The alarm went off the next morning, and Silver had never hated the sound more than he did in those few seconds. It had taken him several hours, but he'd still managed to fall asleep. And, despite the awful day he'd had, the sleep had been blissfully free of nightmares. He sat up, flung his legs over the side of the bed, and switched off the alarm as Gold started to stir and poked his head out from under the blankets. Silver moved to stand up so he could get dressed, when he was held back by Gold's arms wrapping around his waist.

Silver half-smiled and said, "I thought we were going to the cabin."

Gold nuzzled his head against Silver's neck cutely and said, "But it doesn't have to be right now."

Though he would never tell Gold, Silver loved these rare moments when Gold was clingy. Not only was it adorable, but, like anyone, Silver enjoyed the feeling of being wanted, even if he knew it was mildly narcissistic. Gold tugged at him, seemingly asking him to lay back down, so Silver obeyed, and Gold took the opportunity to cuddle up next to him.

Gold draped his arm over Silver's abdomen and said, "Sorry about last night."

Silver leaned his cheek against the top of Gold's head. "Why are you apologizing for that?"

Gold sighed. "It's just... I know it can't be easy for you to be constantly reminded about Anthony because of my stupid baggage."

While Silver wanted to say that it didn't bother him, he wasn't about to lie to Gold. Of course it bothered him, but it wasn't as if he'd ever blamed Gold for it. Silver started running his fingertips up and down Gold's back and said, "It's  _not_  easy, but I know you going through the crap he put you through was a lot harder."

Gold shook his head. "Maybe so, but I hate that you have to deal with it. I wish I could just get over it so that you don't have to."

Silver looked down at Gold and raised an eyebrow. Was Gold really  _that_  bothered by this? Silver had teased Gold frequently about his constant worrying, but this was the last thing he needed to be worrying about.

"Gold," Silver said. "From the very beginning, you've had every reason in the world to leave me and never look back. So do you really think I'm gonna see your "baggage" as an inconvenience?"

He felt Gold's body tense against him before the younger man said, "Don't say that. I would never..."

Silver kissed Gold's forehead. "I know. The point is, I don't want you worrying about this. We've all got shit, and I know I'm not exactly an expert on relationships, but I'm pretty sure part of it is dealing with each other's shit."

The tension in Gold's body lessened immensely, and Silver was pleased to see the younger man smile. Gold raised his head and looked at Silver before saying, "Yeah, suppose you  _do_  owe me for making me deal with your obnoxious snoring."

Silver's cheeks went red, and he turned his head. "Sh-Shut up! I don't snore!"

Silver's chest warmed in an instant when Gold started laughing. And it wasn't a meek laugh, either. It was completely carefree, devoid of all of the pain the two of them had been feeling since they'd lost Miranda.

Gold snuggled up to Silver again and said, "Not always, but you  _definitely_  snore sometimes. I swear, one night I woke up and thought I was sleeping next to a Slaking."

He could tell that, while Gold was joking around, that he was telling the truth about the snoring. Was it really that bad? He made a mental note to buy some nasal strips the next time he was at the store. But, despite being horribly embarassed, Silver couldn't help but smile at the fact that, not only had Gold cracked a joke, but he also laughed. It had been only a few days, but Silver had already started to miss that.

Hoping to keep the cheerful atmosphere going, Silver said, "All right, all right. So maybe I snore. At least I'm not an insufferable worry wart."

Gold poked Silver in the chest and shot back, "Nope, just completely useless in the kitchen."

Gold had him there. Silver couldn't even be trusted to make something as simple as eggs and bacon. In fact, seeing him try to cook had made Gold burst out into laughter on more than one occassion. Silver was about to concede Gold's point when the younger man rolled onto his stomach and inched his face closer to Silver's. The red patches on Gold's cheeks told Silver what was on his mind, so he leaned forward to accept the kiss he knew was coming.

Gold stopped short, however, and said, "Not so much in the bedroom, though."

Then, obviously knowing how mad it would drive Silver, Gold pulled back and climbed out of the bed. He then walked over to the dresser to start getting ready. Silver's left eye twitched, and he smirked at the back of Gold's head. Silver didn't know what was funnier, the fact that Gold had done that, or the fact that he thought Silver was going to let him get away with it. Silver stood from the bed as well and marched right up to Gold, taking him by his hips and spinning him around. Before Gold could react, Silver shoved him against the dresser and completed the kiss Gold had so cruelly denied him. He felt Gold smile against his lips, and the younger man's hands gripped the sides of Silver's face as he pressed back against the kiss.

It didn't take long for Silver to realize that, despite how heated things had gotten the night before, this one kiss felt infinitely better than anything else they'd done. Maybe it was due to the improved atmosphere. He wasn't sure. But he knew he wanted to hold onto the feeling for a few more moments, so he pulled Gold closer. Despite it being slightly chilly in the room, Gold's bare skin was warm, and his hands stroking Silver's chest were soothing.

In between kisses, Gold mumbled, "Well... nice to... see... you haven't... lost your enthusiasm."

The last kiss broke, and Silver had to resist laughing at Gold's words. Lose his enthusiasm? Not likely. With his arms still gripping Gold tightly, Silver whispered in Gold's ear, "You clearly don't realize how fucking sexy you are."

Silver felt the shiver run through Gold's body, and saw the red in his cheeks that always appeared right before Gold would swoon. And swoon he did. Silver was unable to stop the sly grin from painting his lips. He'd been right. No matter how many times he saw it, watching Gold melt would never get old.

Like he'd done many times, Gold, embarassed by Silver's words, squirmed out of his arms and said, "Okay, we should get going. I'd rather not walk up Victory Road at night."

Silver held back a chuckle as Gold nervously scrambled to pull clothes out of the dresser. While Silver knew the two of them would likely face several more moments of despair, these few minutes of things being relatively normal had been nice, and he hoped they might be able to hold onto it, at least for a little while.

* * *

Like last time, the trek up Victory Road was a long one. It was made slightly shorter this time around, however, since Silver and Gold flatly refused any and all trainers who tried to challenge them. Neither of them was in the mood. Thankfully, when they started coming closer to the Indigo Plateau, the number of trainers thinned down, so there were fewer challenges to refuse. And with Houndour beside them, sniffing out the areas, they were able to safely avoid most of the wild Pokemon along the way as well. So, when they came upon the Plateau, their Pokemon were still relatively rested.

A new form of stress reared its ugly head, however, when Silver spotted a bunch of people with TV cameras, the same people who had been at the Plateau the day Gold had taken on the challenge. Silver moved to try to hide Gold from them, but he wasn't fast enough as one of the four reporters spotted them. Silver glared fiercely at them as they surrounded him and Gold.

Question after question started pouring from their lips, and Silver did his best to keep himself between Gold and the cameras, all the while trying to shove past the reporters. The whole situation stopped being a mere nuisance, however, when one of the male reporters asked, "Gold, is it true that you left the Plateau that day because your mother passed away?"

Silver could feel the change in his own expression as soon as the question was asked. He glanced behind him and saw the light that had been dancing in Gold's eyes the entire morning fade away. Silver's chest instantly erupted in an inferno, and his fists clenched tightly. Despite being surrounded by cameras, Silver decided he wasn't going to let this continue. Gold had finally started smiling again, and these vultures had ruined that. He was about to rear his fist back and punch the man who'd asked the question, but he was stopped by a sudden, powerful gust of wind. It wasn't strong enough to knock him or Gold off of their feet, but all four of the cameras were wrenched from the hands of the cameramen and crashed to the ground.

Silver turned to see where the wind had come from, only to be taken aback by the sight of two trainers he'd only ever seen on TV. One had brown, unkempt hair and wore a green shirt. The other had black hair like Gold's, only he wore a red jacket and a red hat. Standing next to the red-clad trainer was a Charizard, presumably the culprit behind the sudden gust.

The green-clad man, with obvious snark, said, "Oh, sorry about that. Red's Charizard gets a little excitable sometimes. You know how it is. A Pokemon like that is never truly tame."

All four of the reporters snarled at the young man and started mumbling to their cameramen to gather the damaged equipment. While the reporters scrambled, Silver took Gold by his wrist and pulled him away from them and toward the man who'd just rescued them. He motioned for Gold and Silver to follow him, and he led them, along with Red, behind one of the nearby buildings and out of sight of the reporters.

With the crisis mostly averted, Silver turned to the green-clad man and said, "Thanks. I owe you."

The man smiled and said, "Don't mention it. Those dickheads are here because  _we_  are. Name's Green, by the way. This is Red. He doesn't talk much."

Silver glanced in Red's direction and Red gave Silver an acknowledging nod. Now that they were away from the reporters, Silver's next instinct was to check on Gold, so he turned to him and took him by the shoulders. The younger man's eyes were still downcast, so Silver felt compelled to ask, "Gold, are you all right?"

Gold raised his head, and, while Silver could see that he was still shaken by what happened, his expression was nowhere near as bad as Silver thought it would be. That was a blessing, at least. Still, the fact that Gold was upset at all drove Silver to try to comfort him, so he hugged him gently and said, "If I would've known those ass holes were gonna be here, I'd have brought a big stick or something."

To Silver's relief, a light chuckle came from Gold, and the younger man hugged him back. Gold's voice was still slightly shaky, but his tone was more chipper when he said, "Well I'm glad you didn't. Having to bail you out of jail would've completely ruined our vacation."

Satisfied that Gold was feeling a little bit better, Silver smiled as he pulled away. He turned back to Green and Red before asking, "So what are you two doing up here anyway? I heard  _you've_ been hanging out on Mt. Silver all this time, and don't  _you_  have a gym to run?"

To Silver's surprise, it wasn't Green who answered this time. Instead, Red chimed in and responded, "We wanted to battle the new Champion."

Silver glanced over at Gold in time to see the younger man's eyes light up slightly. Not the reaction Silver had been expecting. After Gold had insisted that they avoid any and all battles on the way up the mountain, Silver had been certain Gold would find Red's challenge a nuisance. Instead, he looked excited.

Green crossed his arms and said, "Yeah, but then Lance told us what went down. We were just about to leave when you guys showed up."

Silver was silently grateful to Green for letting them know that they were aware of the situation without directly mentioning Miranda's death. After the reporter so blatantly did that very thing a few moments ago, Silver wasn't sure if Gold could handle it a second time.

"What are you guys doing up here, anyway?" Green asked. "Didn't figure you'd want to be here."

Gold beat Silver to the punch and answered, "Silver's dad has a cabin up here. We figured we'd head up there and just... get away from everything for a while."

Silver could see the hint of sympathy on the faces of the other two men, and Green smiled lightly when he said, "Yeah. Totally get that. We'll take off for now and come back later. Not like you're going anywhere."

Red nodded in agreement, and Green waved before they both turned to leave. Silver was just about to say farewell when he was interrupted by Gold saying, "Hang on."

Silver gave Gold a quizzical look as the younger man stepped forward. Green and Red both turned back just as Gold said, "I'll battle you guys right now."

Red and Green both appeared to be just as shocked as Silver was. Wondering what had gotten into Gold, Silver said, "Gold, you didn't want to battle anyone on the way up here."

To Silver's simultaneous surprise and delight, he saw a familiar look flash across Gold's face. It was that spark, that excitement that would always appear whenever Gold was facing a challenge he wasn't sure he could win. He'd had it before several of their battles, and he'd had it before the Pokemon League.

As if shutting out everything else, Gold's eyes burned with one-track enthusiasm when he said, "None of them were Pokemon League Champions."

Silver's first instinct was to ask Gold if he was sure he wanted to do this, but he stopped himself. He'd been worried that the reporters might send Gold back into despair, so did he really want to risk sending Gold there himself by trying to coddle him? No. No he didn't. Gold was acting like his usual self, and he would damn well let him.

Red and Green's eyes met, and Silver saw Red raise two of his fingers and make some sort of handsign Silver couldn't understand. Green crossed his arms and asked Red, "Really? You sure? That won't be anywhere near as much fun."

Red nodded and pointed at Gold with his thumb right before pointing at his own chest and then his head. Silver couldn't make heads or tails of what the red-clad man was trying to say, but Green seemed to understand perfectly as he answered, "Yeah. I guess you've got a point there."

Both former Champions turned their attention to Gold and Green said, "Red wants to do a double-battle since there's four of us. We'll each pick one Pokemon to use and whichever team has a Pokemon standing at the end wins."

Silver's eyes widened, his cheeks burned, and he scrambled to say, "Hang on, what? A double-battle?"

Green raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. That a problem?"

Silver glanced over at Gold, who was giving him a questioning look, seemingly wondering what he was freaking out about. Silver scrambled to collect himself and said, "Not a  _problem_ , really. It's just... I'm nowhere near the level of you three. I'd probably just hold Gold back."

From beside him, Silver heard Gold say, in a scolding voice, "Silver!"

Silver was under no delusions about his skill. He'd done nothing but lose to Gold since day one, so there was no way he was up to snuff to help him take on two former Pokemon League Champions. Giving Gold a stern look, Silver said, "Don't even, Gold. You know it's true."

Gold's eyebrows ran together and he looked like he was about to give Silver one hell of an ass-chewing when Silver was suddenly jolted by the feeling of his shirt collar being pulled. He turned his head, only to find Red staring him in the eyes with a  _very_  annoyed look on his face.

From behind Red, Green nervously asked, "H-Hey, Red, what the hell are you doing?"

Red seemed to ignore his companion entirely, and his eyes narrowed when he told Silver, "Your father never once backed down."

Silver was so taken aback by what Red said, he couldn't even manage to be angry about the fact that Red had grabbed him so suddenly. His father? He knew that Red knew Giovanni. Red  _had_  been the one to take Team Rocket down the first time. But he'd never told Red that Giovanni was his father, so how did he know? Before Silver could ask him anything, though, Green took Red by his shoulder and yanked him back, causing the red-clad man to release his hold on Silver's shirt.

Glaring at his companion, Green snapped, "Look, I know living on a mountain for however many years has left you with the social skills of a rock, but you wanna tone that shit down?"

Red then proceeded to silently argue back using more of those hand signs, but Silver wasn't focusing on that. His mind was on Red's words. Green had told them that Red didn't speak much, and with the use of those hand signs that only Green seemed to understand, that fact was readily apparent. Perhaps because of how silent Red was, on top of  _who_  he was, his words carried power, and Silver couldn't help but be affected. There had to be a reason Red had brought up Giovanni. Could it be that the former Champion had respect for Giovanni despite them being on opposite sides? It was possible. His father may not have been on the right side of the law, but he was no pushover. There was a reason he'd been Viridian City's gym leader. And, if Red respected Giovanni, then Silver could damn well try to earn that same level of respect. He wasn't about to be outdone by his father.

Taking a step closer to the arguing companions, Silver said, "All right. I'll do it."

Silver turned to Gold, and saw a smile form on the younger man's lips as he said, "Really?"

Silver nodded in response. The other two men also ceased their arguing, and Silver saw a similar grin curl on Red's lips. Reaching for one of his pokeballs, Green said, "Well, all right then."

Green then took Red to the side, presumably to discuss which two Pokemon they were going to use before Green chose on his own. Gold similarly approached Silver and whispered, "You sure you want to? I can try to change their minds."

Silver grinned back. "I'm sure. Besides, we've never battled  _together_  before."

Gold didn't question him anymore, and after they'd both decided on using their starters, the two of them turned back to Red and Green to announce that they were ready. Red and Green had, evidently, made their choices as well, and all four trainers readied their pokeballs. After choosing a wide, open area a decent walk away from the Plateau, the trainers threw their pokeballs. Four Pokemon appeared out of the white lights: Feraligatr for Silver, Typhlosion for Gold, Blastoise for Red, and Arcanine for Green. Silver couldn't help but be amused by the fact that both teams had chosen a fire and water type. This was certainly going to be interesting.

Before any trainer could give a command, however, the same-type Pokemon reacted to each other. Feraligatr and Blastoise, without prompting, lunged at each other. Feraligatr caught Blastoise by its shell while Blastoise gripped Feraligatr by its massive shoulders, and the two water types began what looked like a faux sumo wrestling match. At the same time, Typhlosion and Arcanine eyed each other intently right before both of them launched flamethrowers in each other's direction. The flames collided with each other, and, after a few seconds, burnt themselves out. Meanwhile, Blastoise and Feraligatr had seemingly thrown each other backward, showing their equal strength. The Pokemon then stared at their sparring partners for several long seconds before they all seemed to acknowledge each other.

Silver had no idea what had just happened, but Green's amused expression indicated that he understood just fine. The green-clad man crossed his arms and said, "I guess they needed to put each other to the test."

Silver then glanced over at Gold, whose eyes were shining with resolve. Silver's chest tingled with warmth at the sight. He'd been apprehensive about this battle, but seeing Gold so purely content banished all of that in an instant. Gold had clearly needed this, and, even if they lost, Silver would count this as a win.

With the Pokemon ready, Silver prepared to order Feraligatr to attack when he heard Gold's confident voice say, "Burn Up!"

Typhlosion's flames exploded from the back of its neck, and it launched itself in Arcanine's direction. Green flinched, apparently not expecting Gold's sudden command, and quickly shouted back, "Extremespeed!"

With its far superior speed, Arcanine easily dodged Typhlosion's Burn Up, but Gold didn't seem to worried about it. It was a genius move, the kind of move Silver had come to expect from Gold. With Burn Up having been used, Typhlosion was no longer a fire-type, which meant it would no longer be adversely affected by the water. However, after launching such a powerful move, Typhlosion was too dazed to avoid the Extremespeed from Arcanine and was knocked backward by the large canine.

Unfazed, Gold shouted, "Swift and then Sunny Day!"

Star-shaped projectiles exploded from Typhlosion's mouth, and Arcanine tried, without success, to dodge them. While the canine was distracted, Typhlosion did as it was bid and activated Sunny Day. Silver had to momentarily cover his eyes when the entire area started burning with extra sunlight, sunlight he knew would be advantageous to the still fire-type Arcanine, which made him wonder why Gold had done such a thing.

A new danger reared its head, however, as Red took the opportunity to shout, "Hydro Pump!"

The Blastoise shot its water in Typhlosion's direction, and Silver knew that was his cue. Calling out to Feraligatr, he said, "Block it, then use Crunch!"

Feraligatr charged into action and protected Typhlosion from he Hydro Pump, taking little to no damage due to the combined might of its water-type and the fact that the sun was weakening the water. Once the stream of water stopped, Feraligatr lunged forward and sunk its jaws into one of Blastoise's arms, forcing the turtle to turn its attention away from Typhlosion.

As if on cue, Gold took advantage of Blastoise's momentary distraction and called out, "Solar Beam!"

With the sun shining so brightly, Typhlosion was able to launch the Solar Beam immediately, and Silver was momentarily excited by their successful teamwork. So that was why Gold had chosen to use Sunny Day. His ability to think ahead was truly enviable. Silver's excitement was quickly smashed, though, when Arcanine, similarly powered up by the Sunny Day, launched a flamethrower at the Solar Beam, stopping it from reaching Blastoise. The force of the two powerful attacks clashing caused both Typhlosion and Arcanine to be blown backward and stunned.

In the confusion, Silver heard Red say, "Brick Break."

Blastoise then raised its free arm and brought it down hard over Feraligatr's head, causing Feraligatr to lose its grip on Blastoise and stumble a few feet back. Silver expected Red to retaliate, but instead the red-clad man turned to Green and said, "Burn Up. Use it now."

Green scoffed and answered, "No way! I'm not gonna copy him!"

Red, apparently unwilling to waste time arguing, rolled his eyes and said, "Rain Dance!"

The sunlight that had previously been lighting up the area faded in an instant and was replaced, instead, with a downpour of rain. That was when Silver understood why Red had told Green to use Burn Up. Not only would it have done more damage in the sun, but now Arcanine was weakened due to the rain while Feraligatr was empowered by it.

Gold was the first to take advantage of Arcanine's weakness, and shouted, "Focus Blast!"

Typhlosion released a battle cry and flung itself toward Arcanine. Despite Green ordering it to dodge, the canine only  _just_  managed to avoid a direct hit. Its hind leg took most of the damage, which left the Pokemon limping.

Deciding this was the perfect chance to attack it, Silver ordered, "Aqua Tail!"

Without hesitation, Feraligatr set its tail to glowing and leapt toward Arcanine. Much to Silver's ire, though, Blastoise threw itself between Arcanine and Feraligatr just in time to catch Feraligatr by its tail. With Feraligatr unable to finish the attack, the power in its tail tapered off, and Blastoise took the opportunity to yank at Feraligatr's tail, spin it around, and toss it away from Arcanine. Feraligatr landed roughly on its back, but seemed relatively unhurt.

Silver looked in the direction of Green and Red just in time to see Green finally snarl in annoyance and say, "Fine! Burn Up, Arcanine! Now!"

Arcanine howled and Silver was momentarily blinded by the bright flash of fire that engulfed Arcanine's whole body. The canine charged toward Typhlosion, and Gold only just managed to get out, "Defense Curl!"

The powerful flames surrounded Typhlosion, and, while the Defense Curl prevented some of the damage, Silver could see it hadn't stopped all of it. Even in the rain, Burn Up was still hugely powerful and Typhlosion was hardly the defensive type. He found he was right when Typhlosion pushed itself to its feet and there was a slight wobble to its step. It wouldn't be able to last much longer.

That was when Silver heard a frustrated groan come from Green right before he said, "All right, fuck this! Arcanine! Wild Charge!"

Silver's eyes widened. Wild Charge!? In the rain!? That could only mean one thing. The Arcanine proved Silver immediately correct when it surrounded itself with electricity and charged in Feraligatr's direction. Silver was unable to think of any attack or defensive move his Feraligatr knew that would protect it from such an attack. There was no way it could dodge a Pokemon as fast as Arcanine, either, so Silver knew his only option was to hope Feraligatr could tank it.

Before the Arcanine could land the hit, however, Silver heard Gold's voice announce, "Wild Charge!"

Silver turned to Gold just as Typhlosion jumped in front of Feraligatr and sparked with an equal amount of electricity. Typhlosion hunched over on all fours and sprinted directly at the charging Arcanine. Before Arcanine was able to veer off course to avoid Typhlosion, the two fire Pokemon collided. With the combined might of the two attacks amplified by the rain, both Typhlosion and Arcanine were instantly flung backward like a pair of rag dolls. They both hit the ground several feet away, and neither moved. Hardly surprising considering the two Pokemon had been forced to spend a great deal of the battle trying to compensate for their type disadvantage.

Silver's eyes grew wider as Gold and Green returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs. Silver's heart raced and a deep discomfort took root in his chest at this turn of events. Gold was out. That meant Silver was now going to be facing Red alone. His Feraligatr was still in relatively good shape, but so was Red's Blastoise. If he was going to have any hope of winning this, he needed to be smart. He knew as well as anyone that Red was a force to be reckoned with.

At nearly the exact same time, Silver exclaimed, "Agility!" while Red shouted, "Iron Defense!"

Both Pokemon obeyed their trainers, and, before Red could launch his first attack, Silver shouted, "Dragon Claw!"

Feraligatr's claws extended out several inches, and its eyes flashed red as it charged in Blastoise's direction. With its much lower speed, Blastoise wasn't able to dodge, and it was forced to take the hit. Silver looked on in dismay, though, as the move barely seemed to phase the turtle. It made sense. It  _had_  just upped its already ridiculously high defense. Before Feraligatr was able to move away, it was blown backward by what Silver recognized as Flash Cannon.

It wasn't a powerful move, so Feraligatr was able to take it with little trouble, but Silver knew, in these moments, he was in trouble. Feraligatr had always been strong, and its attacks could rip through most opponents like tissue paper. But this was a Blastoise with raised defense. No amount of smaller attacks were even going to make a dent. So he knew he only had one option: go all out and launch one superpowered attack that would, hopefully, finish the turtle in one blow. It was a gamble. He knew that, but him being in this battle at all had been a gamble as well.

He crossed his arms confidently and said, "Giga Impact."

Feraligatr's eyes narrowed, its fists clenched, and its jaw opened before it unleashed a loud snarl and readied its attack. Feraligatr then took off in a sprint, directly toward Blastoise. As it drew closer, Feraligatr's fist began to glow brighter and brighter until Silver was forced to squint and eventually close his eyes. Right before he closed them, however, he grinned at the sight of Feraligatr's attack landing. A loud boom echoed through the mountains, and the massively powerful attack kicked up a dust of smoke, which blanketed the whole battle area.

As the smoke started to clear, Silver saw Feraligatr panting heavily, having used up nearly all of its energy on that last attack. The second thing he saw made Silver's chest grow heavy. Feraligatr's fist had, indeed, landed a blow on the Blastoise. But the turtle had seemingly tucked itself into its shell at the last minute, meaning the brunt of the force was taken by the back of shell rather than any of Blastoise's body parts.

Silver's blood ran cold when Red, in a completely calm voice, said, "Skull Bash."

Silver wanted to tell Feraligatr to dodge, but he knew there was no way the exhausted Pokemon would get away in time. So all he could do was stand by and watch as Blastoise popped back out of its shell and rammed its head directly into Feraligatr's chest. Feraligatr was pushed backward several feet by the impact, and, after releasing one more battle cry, it flopped face-first into the dirt.

Silver was used to losing. He'd never defeated Gold even once, so the sting of defeat should not have bothered him. This time, though, he'd lost in front of Gold, right after Gold had basically sacrificed his own Pokemon to keep Feraligatr in the game. He hung his head as he returned Feraligatr to its pokeball and cursed himself in his mind for not coming up with a better strategy.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Gold flashing him an encouraging smile. Gold then moved his hand down to curl it around Silver's and said, "You did really well, Silver!"

Silver shook his head and answered, "I lost."

Gold chuckled lightly and hugged Silver's arm before leaning his head on the redhead's shoulder. "Yeah, but winning isn't everything."

That laugh, it instantly banished every bit of annoyance Silver had been feeling about losing. Just as he'd predicted, the battle had raised Gold's spirits immensely, and while losing  _did_  suck, hearing Gold laugh made it all worth it.

Silver heard the approaching footsteps of Green and Red, and turned toward them right as Red said, "Listen to him. You both did well, considering the circumstances."

 _Considering the circumstances_. While those words made Silver uncomfortable, he knew Red was right. The two of them were lucky to have been able to battle properly at all, much less hold out as long as they did. Even if neither he nor Gold wanted to admit it, they were distracted and probably would be for a while.

Red then looked directly at Silver and went on, "You're better than your father. You shouldn't doubt yourself."

That's right. The battle had very nearly made him forget. Red somehow knew he was Giovanni's son, despite never having met him before.

"How did you know?" Silver asked.

Red shrugged. "Rocket mentioned Giovanni's kid had red hair. You look like him. Put two and two together."

Green, who had remained silent for the past few minutes, smiled before saying, "Damn, Red. Did you just speak three times in the past five minutes? I believe that's a new record."

Red responded by flashing Green a glare and raising his middle finger at the same time. Green laughed aloud at Red, and said, "No, but seriously. That was great. I wanna battle you guys one-on-one next time, so we have to make that happen."

Despite still being clearly annoyed with Green, Red nodded in agreement with him. Gold, whose eyes had yet to lose that sparkle they'd had since the battle started, smiled back at Green and answered, "You bet."

Silver had to admit that, despite his initial apprehension, he would welcome being able to battle either one of them again. He wasn't sure he'd win, but he also knew there was a lot he could learn from them. The way Red battled, with such focus and precission, Silver had never seen anything like it, not even from Gold.

Green stretched his arms up over his head, yawned, and said, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I could go for some coffee."

Coffee. That actually sounded amazing. Gold had been in such a hurry to get out of the house this morning that Silver hadn't had time to make any. Before either he or Gold could respond, though, Red and Green were already heading back toward the Plateau. Silver and Gold followed behind, and Silver grinned at the sight of Green carrying on another of those half-silent conversations with Red as they walked. He knew little about the two men, but it was obvious that they were very close as they seemed to have created an entirely new language to accommodate Red's silent nature. That had to have taken some serious dedication on Green's part.

The four trainers arrived back at the Plateau, and they all entered the Pokemon center. After healing their Pokemon, all four of them headed to the connecting coffee shop. Green insisted on paying for everyone's drinks, despite Silver's attempts to assuage him. As his own way of making up for it, Gold volunteered to stand at the counter and wait for the drinks while Silver and the other two found seats. After the three trainers sat at a four-seater table, Houndour, who had been following behind them the whole time, whined and started scratching at Silver's pants. Guilt struck Silver as he'd forgotten Houndour had even come with them. He'd managed to train the Pokemon to keep its barking to a minimum unless there was danger, and, as such, it made very little noise.

Reaching a hand down, he patted Houndour on its head and asked, "What is it, boy? Are you hungry?"

Houndour gave an affirmative bark and spun in a circle. Silver smiled and was about to reach into his pocket for some berries when Red suddenly drew out a handful of berries of his own. He whistled at Houndour, and the Pokemon turned to him. Drool dripped from its lips at the sight of the berries, and it took them directly out of Red's palm. While it was eating, Red scratched it behind the ears. After it was finished, it barked twice at Red and gently licked his hand. It then returned to Silver's side and sat next to his chair. Silver went right back to stroking the Pokemon's head, and caught a glimpse of Red making another of those hand motions.

The red-clad man pointed at Silver, and then at Houndour. Unsure of what he was trying to ask, Silver said, "What?"

Luckily, Green was sitting nearby and he translated, "He wants to know where you got that Houndour. Gotta admit, I'm kinda curious too. Never seen a blue one before."

Silver looked down at Houndour and couldn't help the childish grin that painted his face when he remembered receiving the Pokemon. He didn't have a great many truly happy moments to hold onto, but that was certainly one of them.

"It was a birthday present from my Dad."

There were a few moments of silence after that, wherein Red spoke to Green using a few more of those hand symbols. Afterward, Red simply said, "Giovanni has changed."

Silver nodded. He certainly had. A few years ago, Silver would have laughed at the prospect of his father ever putting forth an effort and trying to be a good parent. But, the old man had, over time, shown his desire to make up for his mistakes, which Silver was grateful for.

Houndour growling dragged Silver out of his thoughts, and when the Pokemon turned toward the coffee shop's counter, Silver looked in the same direction. A man was standing at the counter next to Gold. Nothing was happening, and the man appeared to just be making small talk... at first. After a few more seconds, Silver noticed the man's body language start to change, making it obvious that this man was flirting with Gold.

Silver's eyebrow twitched and he calmly stood before saying, "I'll be right back."

Turns out, he was right to be worried as, on his way over to the counter, Silver saw the man step closer to Gold and place a hand on his lower back. Silver's chest errupted with anger, and, upon reaching the counter, he took the man by his wrist and yanked his hand away from Gold's back. He then placed himself between Gold and the man without releasing his hold on the guy's wrist.

The brown-haired man tried to pull his hand away and said, "H-Hey. Lemme go."

But Silver didn't let go. Instead, he pulled the man closer to make sure he could hear him when he said, "Did you know that the wrist is one of the easiest bones in the body to break. Just the slightest bit of pressure, and..."

He squeezed the man's wrist harder, and the shameless flirt whimpered before saying, "A-All right, I get it. He's taken."

Silver's eyebrows ran together, and he released the man's wrist before shoving him back. The man stumbled a few feet, but he didn't fall. Once he'd regained his footing, the man took off out of the Pokemon Center as quickly as he could. Satisfied that he wouldn't be coming back, Silver turned to Gold right as the four drinks they ordered were brought to the counter.

Gold picked up the drinks and asked, "You don't think that might've been a little overkill?"

Silver started leading Gold back to the table and said, "Nope."

Gold smiled and leaned his head in closer to Silver's when he whispered, "Well, I suppose it  _was_  pretty hot."

Silver's cheeks went slightly red and he shook his head as the two of them reached the table where Green and Red still sat waiting. Gold placed the drinks on the table as Silver said, "Sorry about that."

Green took his coffee and answered, "No big deal. I'd have probably done the same thing if Red had been the one standing up there."

Red threw another glare in Green's direction, and Green's words confirmed what Silver had already suspected. They  _were_  a couple. He'd thought they seemed a bit too close to just be friends, what with them having their own private language and all.

Gold, who had already started drinking his coffee, said, "He seemed harmless at first. He was just making small talk until I mentioned the cabin. That was when he started flirting."

Silver rolled his eyes. "He probably thought he was gonna convince you to take him up there. Fucking douchebag."

Green took a swig of his coffee and said, "I'd be careful who you go around telling personal information. You might wind up with a stalker what with you being a big celebrity now."

Gold laughed, but Silver did not find the statement amusing at all. The very thought of some pervert deciding to stalk Gold made his skin crawl. After taking a drink of his coffee, Silver said, "Just let them try."

The entire table laughed after that, and the four trainers fell into conversation that lasted until well after their coffees had been emptied.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Red and Green, Silver and Gold finally headed up to the cabin. When they arrived, they found the place was still warm since, when they'd left the Plateau before, they hadn't even come back for their luggage much less turned off the heater. Gold sighed heavily and stretched before walking to the middle of the room. It was quiet, too quiet. And without the distraction of anyone speaking, Silver's mind had time to wander toward a question he'd been meaning to ask Gold. It was a simple question, but one that Silver had been hesitant to ask.

Before he was able to think of how he wanted to start the conversation, however, Gold stated, "I need a shower."

Silver was tempted to let Gold go ahead and take the shower so that he might have some time to think of what to say. But he also knew that if he didn't ask the question now, he might not ask it at all.

So before Gold could walk away, Silver took him by his wrist and said, "Hang on."

Gold looked at Silver with a quizzical expression on his face. Silver's cheeks burned, and his eyes averted to the floor when he said, "I... wanted to ask you something."

Gold looked even more confused now, and he asked, "So why do you look like you're afraid to?"

 _Dammit_. He hadn't wanted Gold to notice how nervous he was. But, after being together as long as they had been, it was natural that Gold would be able to pick up on his emotions in the same way  _he_  could pick up on Gold's.

Silver raised his hand to scratch the back of his head and shakily asked, "Will you move in with me after we get back?"

Gold's confused expression faded and was replaced with what Silver recognized as amusement. He chuckled lightly and placed his hand on his forehead before saying, "Is that all? Jeeze, Silver, you had me worried for a second."

That wasn't the response Silver had been expecting, but it made the tightness in his chest lessen immensely. He'd been apprehensive about asking Gold that question mostly due to the timing. The last thing he wanted was for Gold to think that he had just been waiting for Miranda to be "out of the way" so he could ask him to move in.

Gold approached and pulled Silver into a hug, grasping Silver by his shoulders and nestling his head next to the redhead's neck. Silver returned the embrace happily, and Gold said, "I don't think I would have been able to live in that house on my own, anyway. Too many memories."

Silver hadn't thought of that, but he could definitely understand. Neither of them had been able to stay the night in Gold's house due to every part of the house dragging up memories of Miranda. He hated that Gold could no longer bear to be in his own house, but he couldn't help but be ecstatic that Gold would be living with him from now on.

Gold backed out of the hug and smiled playfully before saying, "Can I go take a shower now?"

Silver smiled back and said, "Yeah, sorry."

Gold placed his palm against Silver's chest. "Don't apologize. I'm glad you asked."

After that, Gold pulled his hand away and headed off to the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes. Once the door closed behind him and Silver was left in the room alone, he suddenly became aware of how tired he felt. They  _had_  just climbed Victory Road for the second time in a week, so it was hardly surprising. Figuring he could rest until Gold was done showering, Silver walked over to the bed and flopped onto his back.

His eyes drifted across the ceiling for several long minutes, and it didn't take long for his eyelids to become heavy. He hadn't planned on falling asleep, but as his eyes drifted closed, he found he was unable to fight it. These past few days had been long, and he was only surprised it had taken him this long to finally succumb to the exhaustion.

* * *

A soft clicking noise on top of a slight tugging at both of his arms pulled Silver out of his short nap. When his vision cleared, he caught the sight of Gold looking down at him with a smirk on his face. Silver was about to move to sit up when he felt a constriction around both of his wrists. He looked up, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of a pair of handcuffs attaching him to one of the thick, wooden poles that made up the bed's headboard.

His gaze then fell back on Gold, and the redhead raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Gold's smirk grew wider and he slowly, teasingly, ran his hand up Silver's torso, dragging his shirt up along with it. "Well, they're not fuzzy, or pink, but I figured they'd do."

When Silver's chest was fully exposed, Gold straddled Silver and leaned over, bringing his lips only a few inches away from Silver's. Meanwhile, Gold kept his fingertips brushing across Silver's skin, causing goosebumps to raise up all over the redhead's body. Silver could feel Gold's breath on his face, but the younger man seemed to be intentionally holding back from kissing him, which drove Silver to make the move himself.

When he tried, however, Gold pulled back, and Silver was caught by the handcuffs so he was unable to reach. The sly look in Gold's eye became even more intense, and Silver found himself experiencing something he never thought he'd feel before: insatiability. Ordinarily, when he and Gold started getting intimate, Gold would go along with whatever he wanted. But now, Gold was going out of his way to avoid doing the one thing he knew Silver loved the most: kissing. It was purposeful, Silver knew it was. Gold was trying to drive him crazy, and, if the growing bulge in his pants was any indication, it was already working.

So when Gold stripped out of his own shirt and leaned back over Silver, the redhead's body ached with the desire to reach up, pull Gold down, and have his way. But the handcuffs prevented it, which piled onto the already slow-building tension in Silver's body. Gold had clearly put some thought into this because he was pushing  _all_  of the right buttons. He'd told Gold that morning how sexy he found him, but having Gold this close to him, perfectly shirtless, and being unable to touch him only made him look even more tantalizing. That was when it occurred to Silver: this was why Gold had teased him by pulling away from the kiss that morning. He'd been testing the waters, trying to see how Silver would react. And, like a fish drawn to a hook, Silver fell right into Gold's trap by grabbing Gold and attacking him right after. He'd shown Gold a weakness he, himself, didn't even know he had, and now Gold was taking full advantage. And, as utterly up the wall as this made him, Silver had to admit that he loved it.

Silver's frustrated desire must have been showing on his face because Gold's finger tips started stroking the redhead's chest again before he said, "Damn. I need to do this more often if it gets you to look at me like  _that_."

Gold then leaned in closer, and, just like before, brought his lips only a few inches from Silver's. The temptation was great, but Silver didn't dare try to close the gap again because he knew Gold would pull back. Instead, he maintained his resolve and was determined to beat Gold at his own game. If Gold wanted him to fall apart with lust, he would just have to remain calm. After Gold had been so cruel as to deny him a kiss, Silver certainly wasn't going to make this easy for him.

But Gold, it seemed, was equally as determined as he did the cruelest thing he could have done in that moment. Without letting their lips touch, Gold dragged the tip of his tongue across Silver's lower lip. That action finally did Silver in, and his erection pressed against the inside of his jeans so hard that he thought the button and zipper might fly off. Silver then realized that this was going to be significantly harder than he'd originally thought, especially after Gold shifted his head to the side and intentionally blew a breath directly into Silver's ear.

Silver felt the shiver that always ran through his body whenever Gold teased his ears or his neck, but, like everything else Gold was doing, it was amplified by the knot that had been winding up in Silver's stomach ever since Gold first pulled away from the kiss. And that knot made Silver completely unprepared when Gold ran his tongue from the top of Silver's ear, all the way down to his earlobe, releasing more breaths into it the entire time. That was when Silver's mind started to melt, and, as confident as he'd been in his ability to beat Gold, he was quickly finding himself wanting to do the opposite: give in. He was spiraling toward asking what Gold wanted him to say or do in order for this torture to stop. And it had only just started.

But he never got to ask Gold that question because, just as things were starting to  _really_  heat up, both men were jolted to attention by the sound of the cabin's front door being kicked open. Gold turned around and climbed out of the bed just in time for six Rockets to start filing into the room. Silver's chest wrenched tightly, and pure terror shot through him as Blue-Eyes pointed what Silver recognized as a taser directly at Gold. Before Gold could even start to move, Blue-Eyes had pulled the trigger and Gold was on the floor.

No. This had to be a nightmare. Only a minute ago, he and Gold had been getting ready for what Silver had been certain was going to be the most mind-blowing sex they'd ever had. And now this. No. This couldn't be real.

Two of the Rockets moved next to the bed and took Gold by his biceps before dragging him to his feet. As soon as Silver looked upon one of them, the recognition made bile rise in his throat. It was the guy from the coffee shop, the one who had flirted with Gold. Green's words echoed painfully through Silver's ears: " _I'd be careful who you go around telling personal information. You might wind up with a stalker_."

The Rocket's eyes met Silver's, and a disgusting smirk painted his expression as he and his companion carried Gold to the table. They draped him across the table on his stomach and proceeded to tie his wrists to the table's legs. Silver's heart may as well have been a rapid-fire bazooka in those moments because his brain was finally fully registering everything that had just happened. Every single fear he'd had since the day the Rockets had shown up during Gold's swimming lesson was now being realized, and, because of how Gold had cuffed him to the bed, there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop any of it.

These monsters, they were about to do God knows what to Gold, and Silver couldn't save him. Surely, this was the worst nightmare he could possibly have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Sorry for the delay on the next chapter. Not only did I recently give birth to a daughter, but the charger for my laptop shit out while I was in the hospital. I have a good portion of the next chapter written, I just can't access it in order to finish it until my replacement charger comes in. Once it does, I should be able to finish the next chapter in a timely manner.


	21. The Legacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry about how long this took to put out. Between the last chapter release and this one, I gave birth to my daughter so my days have been pretty crazy. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long since it's only the Epilogue, but I'm not gonna promise anything. Newborns take up a lot of time. XD

Gold had always known that tasers hurt. Even if he hadn't seen the effects they had on Silver, he'd seen Sheriff Jim take down enough criminals to know how quickly they render your entire body useless. But seeing it and feeling it were two very different things. All he could do was hang limp as the Rockets dragged him over to the table and tied him up, and now he and Silver were in probably the worst predicament they could possibly be in.

Gold's head was still spinning from the electricity scrambling his brain, but he managed to hear Silver call out, "Run!"

He knew there was no way Silver was talking to him, so he raised his head as much as he could and saw a flash of blue as Houndour took off into the laundry room and out of the doggy door. No doubt Silver was hoping that the Pokemon might be able to bring back some help, but it was highly unlikely. It was late in the evening, in the dead of winter, which meant the Indigo Plateau was probably empty. No. They were on their own.

From beside him, Gold saw one of the Rockets move, and when the man's face came into focus, Gold recognized him as the blue-eyed Rocket who had shown up every time. Another Rocket moved along with him, and he was another familiar face. Gold had thought the man who hit on him in the coffee shop was a creep, but he never suspected he was a Rocket. Blue-Eyes had done some serious planning this time, that was for sure.

Gold's chest clenched tightly when the brown-haired Rocket drew a pistol from a holster on his hip and pointed it directly at Silver's head. At the same time, another Rocket, who was still standing near Gold, pointed his own pistol at Gold's head.

With everything seemingly set up the way he wanted, Blue-Eyes finally said, "Here's the deal. Either one of you tries anything, we shoot the other one. I told you last time, Silver. I'm done playing games."

Silver's eyes flared, and Gold saw his hands twitch as if he wanted to start pulling at the cuffs. But he held himself, and Gold knew it wasn't because he was afraid for his own life. Blue-Eyes then turned to a Rocket Gold couldn't see and nodded. With how they had him tied, Gold could see nothing that was going on behind him, but when he caught a glimpse of Silver's face, he knew whatever they were preparing was not pleasant.

Blue-Eyes took a step closer to Silver, smirked, and said, "And what's about to happen  _now_ , is just so that you know how serious I am. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. I've given you plenty of chances to avoid this."

Gold heard a click followed by a sound he hadn't heard since the night he and Silver met up again. He'd heard it when he kicked down the warehouse door and caught the Rockets torturing Silver. It was the blowtorch that had left the scar in the middle of Silver's chest. Gold's heart pounded in his ears, and, despite not wanting to succumb to the Rocket's threats, he couldn't stop the fear that welled up in those moments. He'd gotten worse from Anthony, he knew that, but he also knew this was going to hurt... a lot.

As the torch drew closer, Gold heard Silver start to desperately shout, "Stop! Don't you fucking touch him!"

But the Rocket didn't stop, as Gold knew he wouldn't. The searing, gut-wrenching pain started at Gold's right shoulder. It was so sudden, and so overwhelming that Gold didn't even have time to think about trying to hold back his screams. Not that he thought he could have even if he tried. The Rocket only focused on that one spot for a second, though, and he started moving the torch down Gold's arm in a straight line. On top of the pain, Gold could smell his flesh cooking, which made his stomach turn. After burning a four-inch line down Gold's arm, the Rocket pulled the torch away, and Gold was able to catch his breath. He couldn't remember ever having screamed that much, not even when Anthony broke his arm. Still, though, that single burn was nothing compared to the months of constant torment his ex had put him through, so he gritted his teeth and refused to let this pain get to him.

He turned his head so that he could look at Silver again, and the expression on the redhead's face nearly made tears well in Gold's eyes. He'd expected to see Silver glaring at Blue-Eyes, cursing him, and acting like the same hot-headed man he'd always known Silver to be. But, in that moment, Silver resembled a beat dog. His hands shook wildly, his eyes were misted over, and his fists were clenched so tightly Gold could see them turning more white than normal.

Blue-Eyes seemed to notice it, too, as he said, "Get the picture now?"

Silver didn't give a response, verbal or otherwise, but just by his body language, Blue-Eyes received his answer. He moved even closer to Silver after that, and bent slightly over him as he said, "Now you're gonna start talking, Silver. I want the code to the vault right now."

He leaned in even closer so that his lips were right next to Silver's ear, and he started whispering something. Gold couldn't hear a single word of it, but all of the color that still remained in Silver's face was drained in an instant. His previously worried expression turned to pure, unfiltered dread, and Gold could swear he saw the redhead gag slightly.

After that, Blue-Eyes pulled back, he looked down at Silver and he asked, "Do you want that to happen?"

Without hesitation, Silver blurted out, "No!"

That desperate tone in Silver's voice, Gold had never heard anything like it from him before. Whatever Blue-Eyes had just said, not only did it seem to have terrified Silver, but Gold quickly found that it completely broke him.

"863-497-632-58," Silver said flatly.

The code. Gold had never heard it before, but he knew that was what it was. Silver was giving it up, virtually without a fight. He'd risked his life to keep the vault safe multiple times but now, after Blue-Eyes had whispered in his ear, he was suddenly throwing it all away. Gold knew Silver well, so he knew he was not the type to give up easily. What impossibly cruel, unspeakable thing could Blue-Eyes have threatened Silver with to draw out this kind of reaction?

A disgustingly pleased expression appeared on Blue-Eyes' face, and he turned to one of the unseen followers as he asked, "Did one of you get that?"

Before any of them could answer, Silver went on, "That's not all. After you enter that code, you have to push the green button and then immediately enter another code. If you don't, the security system will activate, and the entire place will go up in flames."

Blue-Eyes scoffed. "Of course Giovanni would put something like that in the vault. Well, spit out the code, then."

Finally, Gold managed to find his voice, and he said, weakly, "Silver, don't."

Silver's eyes met his, and he knew, even though no words were spoken, exactly what Silver was thinking. There was no point in trying to talk him out of this. He'd made his choice.

"#945," Silver mumbled.

Blue-Eyes turned again to look at the Rockets standing behind Gold, and after he seemed satisfied that the information was recorded, he turned back to Silver. The Rocket crossed his arms over his chest and sneered, "Now, was that  _really_  so difficult?"

Silver kept his eyes averted and said, "Just let him go."

Finally, after taunting Silver all this time, Blue-Eyes turned to Gold and asked, "Where's the key to the cuffs, Lover Boy?"

The fact that Gold had once asked Blue-Eyes almost that exact same question was not lost on him. It was absolutely stomach-turning how badly the roles had flipped since that night Gold ran Blue-Eyes off with a shotgun.

Gold's voice shook when he said, "In my left pocket."

After Blue-Eyes fished the key out of Gold's pocket, he turned to the other Rockets and said, "Cut him loose."

One of the Rockets drew a box cutter from his pants pocket and cut through the thin strings binding Gold to the table. Still unable to move well, Gold slid off the table and plopped onto his butt on the floor. Gold heard the clicking sounds of the cuffs unlocking and sliding open, and he turned in time to see Silver shove Blue-Eyes to the side and approach. Silver knelt down next to Gold, took him by the sides of his head, and gently pressed their foreheads together.

In a strained mumble, Silver said, "I'm sorry."

Gold felt a knot form in his throat at Silver's pitiful tone. Gold knew, since the moment Silver had stepped between him and that rifle, that Silver had been terrified of this very thing happening. Gold hadn't thought about it in a long time, but he could hear Silver's words as if he were speaking them right now.

" _Now they know... that they can get to me through_ you."

It was one of those moments that Gold hadn't thought much of at the time, but now that he looked back he realized how important it was. That was the first time Silver had inadvertently admitted that he felt something for Gold, something besides just simple friendship. But that moment was forever tainted now that the fears associated with it had come true in the worst possible way. Silver was going to blame himself for this, beat himself up over it, and hate himself because of it. And Gold absolutely couldn't stand it.

The sound of a gun cocking grabbed the attention of both Gold and Silver, and when Gold looked past Silver, he saw Blue-Eyes standing there, pointing a grey 45 magnum at the back of Silver's head.

Blue-Eyes smirked and said, "Isn't that sweet? Now get the fuck up, you two are coming with us."

What? Gold hadn't expected the Rockets to leave without at least taunting them one more time, but what reason could they possibly have for dragging them along to the vault? Gold's chest was starting to boil with anger when he said, "You have the damn code! What more do you want!?"

Blue-Eyes moved the gun slightly forward so that it was pressing directly against Silver's scalp. Like he always did, Silver remained unaffected by the presence of the weapon. Gold, however, was shaking from head to toe. Silver had given them the code, which meant their only reason for  _not_  shooting him up until now was null and void.

To Gold's surprise, Silver didn't attempt to argue and gripped Gold's wrist tightly. He draped Gold's arm over his shoulders and hoisted him up. Gold's legs shook, but he was at least able to hold most of his own weight as Silver helped him walk toward the front door. On the way out, Silver snatched Gold's hoodie from the coat rack and clumsily helped him put it on, for which Gold was grateful. Being outside, shirtless, in the middle of winter would not have been pleasant.

Once they were both outside, the Rockets filed out with them and closed the door. Blue-Eyes, at last, lowered his gun, but before Gold had time to be relieved, one of the other Rockets took his place, pointing a black pistol at Silver's head instead.  _Dammit_. Why couldn't these bastards just stop waving those guns around? Silver had already given them what they wanted. Why didn't they just  _go_?

After drawing a pokegear from his pocket, Blue-Eyes pushed some buttons on it and said, "We're gonna head off to the vault now, Silver. And Lover Boy is gonna go inside with me, just to make sure there's no funny business."

At the sound of those words, Gold felt Silver's body stiffen. Curious, Gold turned to look at Silver's face. His expression remained totally stoic, but there had to be a reason his body had wound up like that. What had the Rocket said that frightened him? Gold wasn't sure, but Silver clearly knew something he didn't. Gold watched as Silver looked around at all of the Rockets, scanning the area with a concentration that made Gold's stomach ache with nervousness. Blue-Eyes was talking on his pokegear, and the other Rockets either didn't notice Silver looking around or they didn't care. But Silver was obviously plotting something, and Gold only wished he could see inside of his head to know what it was.

Gold saw the expression on Silver's face shift as he seemed to come to a decision. Using his free hand, Silver took Gold by the chin and made him raise his head slightly. Their eyes met for only a second before Silver leaned in and kissed him. But it didn't feel good, not at all. This kiss, Gold couldn't explain it but there was a deep feeling of dread behind it, and when it broke, he immediately went to ask what Silver was doing.

But the redhead cut him off and said, softly, "I love you."

Gold's eyes grew wide as Silver released his hold on him and let him fall to the ground. In an instant, Silver turned, snatched the gun out of the hand of the Rocket standing behind him, and a gunshot echoed through the mountains as Silver fired the gun right into the man's chest. What happened next happened so fast that Gold could scarcely follow it. He saw two more Rockets fall as Silver fired in their direction. He didn't see where Silver hit them or whether or not they were dead, but the three remaining Rockets all scrambled to draw their guns. Silver aimed the pistol directly at Blue-Eyes, and Gold saw him about to squeeze the trigger when a bullet from one of the Rockets came flying right toward Silver's head. Gold's entire body seemed to turn to stone when Silver's head flung backward from the force of the bullet, and he fell, limp, to the ground right next to Gold.

For the next several seconds, Gold was certain the world stopped turning. He couldn't hear, see, or feel anything apart from what felt like a deep, heavy, painful blow to his chest. They shot him. They shot Silver... in the head. There was no mistaking it. That was where the blood was coming from. Only a moment ago Silver had kissed him, told him he loved him, and now he was lying on the ground shot in the head. No. This couldn't be happening. His dad was gone. His mom was gone. He couldn't be losing Silver too. Rapid, heavy breaths started escaping from his nose, and his hands shook more than they ever had in his life.

He reached those shaky hands out and pulled at Silver's shoulder, attempting to roll him over so he could see the wound. Silver flopped onto his back, and Gold thought he might faint at the sight of a bloody but shallow gash right below Silver's temple. The tears that had been welling in Gold's eyes for the past several seconds overflowed in an instant, and the relief nearly knocked him on his back. A graze, not a direct hit. Silver wasn't dead.

Gold had very little time to be relieved, however, as Blue-Eyes marched up to him, took him by his bicep, and started trying to drag him along. This time, though, Gold wasn't going to let them have thier way. Not after they'd just made him think Silver was dead. Gold wiggled as much as he could with his still-sore muscles, and managed to shake free of the Rocket. Blue-Eyes snarled and looked like he was about to point his gun at Gold when a loud, bellowing sound suddenly echoed from all around them.

It took Gold a second to register that what he'd heard was a roar, but the moment it clicked, he also realized it sounded very familiar. The roar was, evidently, enough that it woke the previously unconscious Silver, and the redhead started shakily trying to sit up. Gold heard the roar again, and this time it was closer, so close that Gold was certain whatever was making it was, at most, a mile away.

But he found he'd been overestimating the distance when, to his absolute bafflement, a familiar brown-furred Pokemon leapt out from behind the cabin and landed right between Gold and Silver and the remaining Rockets. Its red and grey faceplates shone under the moonlight as Entei released a third vicious roar. The three Rockets were visibly shaken and afraid of the large creature, so much so that none of them seemed able to raise their weapons. Not that they would have been able to use them anyway as Entei readied a fire ball and launched it right in their direction. All three Rockets scrambled to get out of the way, but Gold wasn't able to see what happened after that.

Before he even realized what was happening, he was being yanked to his feet by Silver, and the redhead was half-carrying him away from the cabin and toward the nearby forest. Gold's immediate thought was that he didn't want to leave Entei to fight the Rockets alone. They had guns, and he didn't want the Pokemon dying for their sake. But when he turned to make that case to Silver, the look on the redhead's face told him it would be pointless. Silver was determined to get as far away from the remaining Rockets as fast as he could, and no amount of pleading from Gold was going to stop him.

Silver carried Gold at least a mile and a half into the forest before the redhead finally seemed to run out of stamina. They reached a small clearing in the forest, and Silver brought Gold over to one of the trees before setting him down gently so that his back was leaning against the bottom of the tree. After that, Silver fell, exhausted, to his knees and started panting like he'd just run a marathon. Blood was also still dripping from the wound on his head, and Gold knew that it had to be making Silver dizzy. Reaching a hand out, Gold brushed it against Silver's cheek, right under the wound. The touch seemed to jolt Silver to attention as the redhead instantly forgot how exhausted he was and threw his arms around Gold's neck.

He pulled Gold into a tight hug and, at the same time, smothered his lips in a desperate, deep kiss that told the tale of how relieved he was. Gold pressed back against the kiss and gripped onto Silver just as tightly. They were okay. They were  _both_  okay. Despite how hopeless the situation had seemed, both of them came out of it alive. He knew he had Entei to thank for that, but, at that moment, all Gold could think about was the fact that he and Silver were alive and together, just like it was supposed to be.

Their lips came apart, but Silver didn't seem ready to leave the embrace. Instead, he leaned his own back against the tree and dragged Gold into his lap so he could keep holding him. Gold's back was pressed into Silver's chest as the redhead's arms hooked around his waist. With his body still rather limp, Gold slumped down slightly until the back of his head was resting on Silver's left shoulder.

Silver's lips came down on Gold's temple, and, now that things were calmed down, Gold was finally able to ask, "Silver, why'd you tell them? Whatever they were gonna do, I could have taken it. I-"

" _I_  couldn't," Silver interrupted.

Shocked by the anguish in Silver's voice, Gold was stunned to silence. Silver's grip on him tightened, and the redhead said, " _I_  couldn't take it, Gold. You don't know... You don't know what they were gonna do."

Gold knew that Silver was referring to whatever it was that Blue-Eyes had whispered to him. It was true that Gold didn't know what was said, but Silver's immediate capitulation after hearing that threat had made it obvious how much it had scared him.

"What did he say to you?" Gold asked. "The Rocket."

Silver shook his head, seemingly unwilling to answer properly. "It was just more threats."

Gold's eyebrows ran together slightly and he said, "It wasn't just  _any_  threat because you gave in immediately."

He could hear Silver becoming frustrated when he said, "Gold, don't make me say it."

"No, Silver," Gold scolded. "I have to know what suddenly made you so willing to give up the vault."

Silver raised one of his hands up to his face to cover his eyes, and Gold could feel the tension that had instantly wound up in Silver's entire body. It was obviously painful for Silver to even think about much less say, but Gold couldn't let this go. After putting himself in danger to protect that vault time and time again, Gold had to know why Silver would so quickly throw it away.

Silver's voice came out weaker than Gold had ever heard it when he said, "He told me, if I didn't give up the vault, that they were gonna  _pass you around like a 2-dollar whore_."

Gold's stomach turned at the sound of those words, and he immediately understood why Silver had been so reluctant to tell him. Of all the things they could have threatened Silver with, making him watch as Gold was gang raped was definitely among the worst. It seemed every time Gold thought he'd seen the depths of the depravity Blue-Eyes and his crew were capable of, they would find a way to outdo themselves.

The redhead dropped his hand back down, and Gold felt a few tears drip onto his shoulder when Silver said, "Now  _you_ tell  _me_. If the roles had been reversed, could you have just laid there and watched that?"

Could he lay there and watch a bunch of other men have their way with Silver? Hell no. He'd sooner take an acid bath. But, even so, they had another big problem to deal with now. If any of the Rockets managed to escape from Entei, they would have everything they needed to get into the vault. Gold remembered Silver telling him that there were things in that vault that, if found by the Rockets, would spell a lot of trouble for Johto and Kanto.

"But, Silver," Gold said. "Shouldn't we be doing something? You said that it would be bad if Team Rocket got their hands on the stuff in the vault. We should at least try to stop them, right?"

Silver shook his head. "They're not getting their hands on anything."

Okay, now Gold was confused. He'd heard Silver tell them the code  _and_  how to disable the security system. He turned his head to look up at Silver and asked, "What do you mean?"

Silver leaned his head back against the tree and stared up at the sky. His teeth ground together for a few seconds before he said, "I told them that 4-digit code disabled the security system, but it doesn't. It activates it."

Activates it? That meant... Gold's chest stung with guilt, his eyes fell to the dirt and his hands clenched into fists as he said, "That's why you went for the gun."

Silver offered no verbal response and simply nodded. Blue-Eyes had planned on making Gold go down into the vault with him, so Silver had inadvertently backed himself into a corner. He couldn't tell Blue-Eyes the truth and risk him getting a hold of whatever was in the vault, but he couldn't let him activate the security system either, lest he risk Gold being harmed by the fire. Now, Silver had blood on his hands and, if any of the Rockets managed to escape Entei, the vault was going to be destroyed, all because Silver had been trying to protect Gold. This was wrong, so wrong. Silver had already lost so much in his life. He shouldn't have had to sacrifice anything more.

Gold exhaled heavily and said, "Your father's legacy, everything he left for you. Silver, I'm-"

The redhead instantly cut him off, as if knowing what he was going to say, "Don't say it, Gold! I don't care about that!"

Gold shook his head and answered, "You obviously do. How many times did you risk your life trying to protect it?"

Silver scoffed. "Yeah, well that was  _before_  I had to make a literal gun-to-my-head choice!"

Silver then hugged Gold tighter with one arm while bringing the other up to press Gold's head against his chest. Gold felt Silver's cheekbone dig into the top of his head as the redhead went on, "I don't want his legacy, Gold! I don't  _need_  his damn legacy!"

Like he'd done countless times in the past, Silver turned Gold's entire body into butter when he breathed, "I need  _you_."

A chill started from the top of Gold's head and moved down to his toes at the sound of those words. He thought he'd reached the depths of how much he could love the man currently holding him, but it seemed Silver was determined to prove him wrong. Though his muscles still ached and he wasn't able to move much, Gold forced himself to turn around so he could face Silver. His intention had been to kiss Silver, but he was halted when he caught a glimpse of the still-bleeding wound below the redhead's temple. He'd been so distracted by Entei suddenly appearing and Silver dragging him away that the moments before that had been pushed to the back of his mind.

But now they were front and center again. He remembered that harsh, stabbing feeling in his chest when he'd thought Silver was dead. He remembered how utterly and totally hopeless he'd felt, like the world had ceased to turn. He remembered how terrified he'd been in those few agonizing seconds, terrified of being left alone. And that particular memory brought with it another one: he'd almost done that very thing to Silver when he'd tried to walk off that cliff. He knew he had hurt Silver by doing that, but only now did he understand just how much. If what Silver had felt in those few seconds was anything like what  _he_  had felt when he saw Silver get shot, then Gold knew he owed Silver far more apologies than the ones he'd given him.

He raised one of his hands to try to clean some of the blood off of Silver's face, and his lips trembled when he started to say, "Silver, I'm-"

Gold was unable to finish his statement as he was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from behind him. He shakily turned around to see not only Entei approaching, but also Houndour, who bounded out from behind the large creature and lept into Silver's lap. It began enthusiastically licking his face and whining, as if it were relieved to see him unharmed.

Silver smiled at it and stroked its head as he said, "Hey. I figured you'd try to bring back help, but this... isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Houndour barked twice and jumped off of Silver's lap before spinning in a circle and smiling brightly. Silver then stood and Gold watched as he approached Entei. The legendary made no movements whatsoever, a stark contrast to their first meeting when Entei had roared in Silver's face twice.

To Gold's surprise, the first thing Silver said was, "Are you all right?"

Gold had to hold back from laughing when he saw the Entei's expression shift to one that seemed to say, "Really? Do you know who I am?"

He heard Silver chuckle lightly and the redhead answered, "Yeah, I guess that was a dumb question."

Silver then glanced over his shoulder to look at Gold. It was only for a fleeting second, but Gold could see anger come over Silver's face. He turned back to Entei and asked, "Did any of them get away?"

Entei, looking mildly disappointed, nodded.

Silver sighed heavily. "Let me guess. The one with the blue eyes?"

Entei nodded again, and Gold saw Silver cross his arms in obvious frustration. And Gold understood why. Blue-Eyes had been a constant thorn in Silver's side ever since Team Rocket found out about the vault. And after the threat Blue-Eyes had made, there was no doubt in Gold's mind that Silver wanted  _that_  Rocket dealt with more than any of the others. Entei seemed to be able to sense Silver's disappointment as well as it released a low growl and Gold saw a sympathetic expression on its face.

Silver shook his head and told Entei, "No, it's fine. You already did way more than you had to."

There was a brief pause wherein Entei shook its head before lowering it down to the grey ring on its left, front paw. Gold saw its head shift slightly to the side before it rose again and, in between its teeth, was a berry Gold recognized. It was the same kind of berry he'd left for Entei after they'd fixed its leg. Gold couldn't help but smile as the realization came over him. Entei was repaying them for helping it. He'd always heard that Pokemon remember those who help them, but he'd never imagined this would happen.

Silver seemed to recognize it too, and Gold was utterly shocked to see Silver take a step closer to Entei. The Pokemon didn't move, and Gold thought his chest might melt when he saw Silver lean his forehead against the yellow face plate on Entei's forehead, while placing his hand on Entei's neck.

Gold couldn't see Silver's face, but he could hear the deep, tear-jerking joy in his voice when he said, "Thank you."

It was a small, simple gesture, but Gold could feel how much emotion was behind it. And, evidently, Entei could too, as a low rumble came from its throat before it nuzzled Silver's head gently. After a few seconds, Silver pulled back and Entei purred happily. Silver stroked Entei's head one more time, took a step back, and said, "Take care of yourself."

Entei nodded and Gold was shocked when Entei looked past Silver and nodded again. Unsure of what else to do, Gold smiled at Entei in response. Then, after looking back at Silver one more time, Entei turned and lept back into the trees.

After Entei was out of sight, Silver turned back to Gold and Gold was pleased to see that much of the pain that had been polluting Silver's expressions had vanished. The redhead approached Gold and asked, "Can you walk yet?"

Gold had to admit that he had almost forgotten about his own injuries in light of everything that had just occurred. But now that he was remembering, he already knew the answer to Silver's question. It had taken almost all of his strength just to turn around a few moments ago, so he knew he wouldn't be walking anywhere on his own.

Slightly annoyed by this, Gold grumbled, "No. Sorry."

Silver rolled his eyes, "Stop apologizing. It's not your fault."

Silver then took Gold by his left wrist and pulled him up again before heading back in the direction of the cabin. Gold's eyes were affixed to the ground the entire trip as he was still aggravated by the fact that Silver was having to carry him. On the way back, Silver drew out his pokegear and searched through his contacts.

He dialed a number Gold didn't recognize and after it rang twice, Silver said, "Hey, Dad."

* * *

After filling his father in on what happened, Silver insisted that the two of them return home rather than staying in the cabin. He couldn't bear the thought of being there, not after what had occured only a short time ago. So, after gathering a few of their things, Silver helped Gold onto Altaria's back and they flew back to Olivine. Once they arrived, Gold seemed to have regained some of his strength as he was able to shakily walk inside without needing Silver's aid. He didn't make it far, though, and plopped onto the couch, which was fine. Silver wanted to treat the burn on Gold's arm anyway.

Silver retrieved the first aid kit from the cabinet in the kitchen and when he returned to the living room, he found Gold was already stripping out of the hoodie. The burn was just as bad as the one Silver had received all those months ago, so he knew the awful pain Gold was feeling in those moments, especially with the burn being in such an inconvenient place. Every movement of his arm had to be sending waves of pain through it. Silver drew out a burn heal and a small bottle of aloe and placed the first aid kit on the end table next to the couch.

He sat down next to Gold and was opening the burn heal when Gold said, "Silver, we should get you to the hospital so they can stitch up that wound."

Silver sprayed the burn with the ointment and shook his head before asking, "You can do it, right?"

The discomfort was heavy on Gold's face when he answered, "Well, yeah, but I don't have any anesthetic or anything, so it'll hurt."

Silver shrugged his shoulders. "I've had worse."

To Silver's bafflement, Gold's voice devolved straight into intense anger when he said, "You don't think I know that!? Fucking christ, you're just as nonchalant as you always were!"

Before Silver could register the shock of being snapped at so suddenly, he saw tears welling up in Gold's eyes. As soon as they started leaking down his face, however, Gold swiped them away and Silver saw him trying desperately to hold more of them back. At first, Silver wanted to chalk it up to the situation they'd just been through with the Rockets, but Gold had seemed mostly fine on the flight home. So why would he suddenly be breaking down now? It wasn't as if being snapped at bothered Silver all that much, but if there was something else going on, he wanted to know.

While dabbing the burn with aloe, Silver asked, "What's this about, Gold?"

Gold didn't answer right away, so Silver finished what he'd been doing and returned both the burn heal and the aloe to the first aid kit before scooting closer to Gold. The shifting of the cushion beneath him seemed to grab Gold's attention, and he turned his head to look at Silver. Silver saw Gold's eyes glance in the direction of the gash beneath his temple before they averted again and Gold raised his hand to cover them.

After exhaling a heavy breath, Gold finally said, "I thought you were dead."

Silver was so surprised by Gold's words that he was unable to come up with any of his own. He'd gotten back up so quickly after passing out, that Gold being worried for him hadn't even crossed his mind. But he knew what it felt like to worry like that, so he was painfully aware of what Gold had experienced in those few moments before he woke up. Hoping to offer some comfort, Silver wrapped an arm around Gold's waist.

However, just as he had when he was in the hospital, Gold tried to squirm out of Silver's grip and said, "No! You don't get it!"

But, after hearing such a response, Silver wasn't about to let Gold go anywhere and he tightened his hold, preventing Gold from scooting away. Silver didn't know what was going through Gold's head in that moment, but he was clearly far more distressed than he had realized.

Seemingly giving up on escaping, Gold finally went on, "You hit the ground and I...  _Jesus fucking Christ_ I've never been so scared in my life. It was like  _everything_  ended in a second."

Silver knew exactly what Gold was saying. He'd felt a similar feeling when he'd thought about the possibility of Gold falling off that cliff. That was why he was the perfect person to comfort Gold in those moments, so why wasn't Gold letting him?

Gold answered the question for him when he said, "And I put you through that when I tried to walk off that cliff."

Silver's eyes grew wider and his heart beat just a little bit faster. Gold was feeling guilty? Of all the things he should have been feeling in those moments, guilt was not one of them. They'd just been through something awful, and Miranda's death was still fresh as well. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Any of those things Silver would have understood, but guilt? No. He wasn't going to let Gold feel that on top of everything else.

Before he could say anything, though, Gold said, "I knew... I knew I'd hurt you, but I didn't understand just how much. Silver, I'm-"

No. He knew what Gold was going to say and he didn't want to hear it. Gold had apologized more than enough for what happened after the Pokemon League. He didn't need to focus on it anymore. So, to stop him, Silver took his chin, made him turn his head, and closed their lips together quickly. At first, Gold tried to pull back, but Silver pressed his hand against the back of Gold's head, holding him in place. After that, Gold seemed to settle down, and Silver felt the anxiety that had been pouring out of the younger man start to dissipate. And with the loss of that anxiety, Gold seemed to default to the next, easiest feeling.

His arms hugged Silver's neck and he leaned into the kiss with a good portion of his body weight, which forced Silver to use the arm he'd had wrapped around Gold to brace himself. This wasn't exactly what Silver had planned, but if it made Gold stop thinking about his guilt, Silver decided he would take it. After going through what they'd just been through, kissing Gold like this felt better than it otherwise might have. So Silver let himself indulge, but he kept his head. They'd tried making love right after a tragic event before and it hadn't worked out well for them, so Silver knew now wasn't the time to be getting hot and bothered, no matter how good it might feel.

Once the kiss broke, Silver pulled back slightly and took a proper look at Gold's face. Of course, his cheeks were red and his eyes misty, but Silver was pleased to see that he hadn't burst into full blown tears. Hoping to make sure he wouldn't, Silver said, "Let it go, Gold. I have, so you should too."

Gold met his eyes and said, "But Silver, I-"

"No," Silver interrupted. "You've got more than enough to deal with right now without adding guilt into the mix."

Silver could sense that Gold hadn't entirely let it go, but Gold said nothing more and placed a hand right in the middle of Silver's chest. He pressed slightly, as if asking Silver to lie down. Silver followed his lead and, once he was lying back, Gold turned on his side and snuggled up next to Silver, draping his arm over Silver's waist and burying his face in Silver's chest.

Silver brought his arm down to hold onto Gold as well, and the younger man said, "I love you."

Gold had said those words to him many times already, but even now, even after getting used to hearing them, they still brought that ridiculous flutter to Silver's chest. He looked past Gold and at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was coming up on midnight.

After placing a kiss on the top of Gold's head, Silver asked, "You want to head to bed?"

Gold shook his head and gripped onto Silver tighter. "Can we just stay like this for a little while?"

Silver had to admit that he didn't particularly feel like moving either, so he understood Gold's position. While the couch wasn't huge, it was big enough that, even if they both fell asleep here, they would be able to sleep relatively comfortably.

So Silver nodded and said, "If that's what you want."

Gold didn't answer him after that, though, because he seemed to have already dozed off. After they day they'd had, Silver couldn't say he was surprised. He reached for the throw blanket they always kept draped across the back of the couch and dragged it down to cover the two of them. It was only after the blanket warmed him that Silver realized he was equally as tired, and his eyelids drifted closed.

* * *

Silver awoke later that morning to a knock on the front door. It was only after his vision cleared that he remembered that he and Gold had fallen asleep on the couch. That left him in the position of not wanting to disturb Gold, so he remained where he was and called out, "Come in!"

He was surprised to see his father walk inside. Under one of his arms was a box Silver recognized as one of the many he'd seen inside of the vault and hanging from Giovanni's shoulder was a duffle bag. The old man approached and placed both things on the coffee table before sitting down on the nearby recliner.

Giovanni's eyes focused on Gold for a few seconds before he asked, "Is he all right?"

Silver looked down at Gold as well and saw that he was still very much asleep. For that, Silver was grateful. Gold had hardly slept at all since the day of the Pokemon League, so he really needed the rest.

"As much as can be expected," Silver answered.

Giovanni leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "And what about you, Son?"

He'd known his father was probably going to ask that question, and he also knew lying to him would be pointless. So he truthfully said, "I've been better."

Giovanni sighed. "I can imagine."

The both of them fell silent after that, and Silver glanced over at the two things Giovanni had brought in. The cardboard box had a lid on it, so he couldn't see what was inside and the duffle bag was completely zipped.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he asked, "So what's that stuff?"

Giovanni looked at the box as he said, "The duffle bag is full of money, but the box contains some of the most important things that I wanted to leave for you. There were many more boxes I wanted to bring you, but I only had time to grab the one."

Silver's eyes went wide as he asked, "Does that mean...?"

Giovanni nodded. "The vault has been destroyed."

Despite trying so hard to keep that vault safe for so long, it was strangely easy to hear that it had been burned. It was obviously due to the fact that he'd been forced to weigh the vault against Gold's life, but he'd still expected to be at least a little bit upset by this revelation. He felt nothing of the sort, however. In fact, he found himself relieved, which was the last thing he expected to feel.

Driven by that feeling, Silver said, "I'm not exactly sorry."

Giovanni half-smiled and answered, "I don't expect you to be. I told you to destroy the vault if protecting it stopped being worth it."

Silver remembered that conversation well, and the look on his father's face was exactly the same as it had been that day. It was a mix of both disappointment and understanding. Giovanni knew destroying the vault was necessary, but it was also obvious that he was deeply upset by it. Not surprising. Much of what was in that vault held sentimental value for Giovanni. So while Silver wasn't sorry the vault was destroyed, he did feel sympathy for his father. It couldn't be easy for the old man to know so much of his legacy was now in ashes.

"So what now, Dad?" Silver asked. "Team Rocket probably won't be after you anymore, right?"

Giovanni exhaled heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. "They certainly will be. That vault was only one of several I have hidden throughout Johto and Kanto. I just didn't tell you about any of the others because none of them contain things I wanted you to inherit."

Silver's chest ached at his father's words. More vaults? Several more? He'd known his father always thought ahead, but him creating multiple vaults had never once crossed Silver's mind. Although it  _did_  explain why his father always seemed to have access to money and other resources despite him constantly being on the run.

Giovanni's eyebrows ran together and he went on. "No. I will most likely be on the run for the rest of my life, Son. But now, you and Gold no longer have to worry. You don't know the locations of the other vaults, so Team Rocket won't waste what few resources they have going after you, especially now that their new leader is in jail."

Silver's lips curled into a smile. "You put Blue-Eyes in jail?"

Giovanni gave him a quizzical look. "Blue-Eyes? Never heard him called that before, but yes. He is safely locked away. He won't be bothering anyone anymore."

Yet another wave of relief swept over Silver. After learning he'd managed to escape from Entei, Silver had been worried Blue-Eyes might come after him and Gold, if only to get revenge. And after the threats the psychopath had made, the last thing Silver wanted was for Blue-Eyes to be anywhere near Gold.

Giovanni, evidently having delivered the message he wanted, stood and said, "I should go. I'm sure you and Gold have things to discuss."

Silver nodded and said, "All right. Bye, Dad."

Giovanni waved and headed for the door. Before he made it there, however, he stopped. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "By the way, you may want to make sure Gold isn't watching when you open up that box. It will ruin the surprise."

Silver raised an eyebrow. "What surprise?"

Giovanni winked and answered, "You'll see."

He said no more after that and left the house, leaving Silver and Gold alone once again. Silver had no idea what his father was talking about, but now wasn't the time to be worrying about it. He needed to wake Gold up and give him the first bit of good news they'd had in a while.

He placed a hand on Gold's shoulder and shook him gently as he said, "Gold, wake up."

Gold, evidently, hadn't been sleeping very heavily because he woke very quickly. His eyes darted about the room before landing on Silver. After blinking a few times, his eyes went wide and he said, "Shit. Silver, I'm sorry. I totally forgot to stitch up that wound."

Silver had completely forgotten about the wound as well, and he was about to tell Gold not to worry about it when the younger man climbed off of the couch and started digging through the first aid kit Silver had left on the end table the night before. He drew out peroxide, gauze, tape, a needle and thread.

He sat on the couch next to Silver, and the redhead said, "Hang on. I have something to tell you."

Gold poured some of the peroxide on some gauze and said, "Good, then you can tell me while I'm doing this. It'll distract you from how badly this is gonna hurt."

Without further warning, Gold pressed the peroxide-covered gauze against the wound. It stung far more than Silver expected it to, but he kept it from his features and said, "My dad came by while you were still asleep."

Gold set the gauze and peroxide to the side and readied the needle and thread. Just before he stuck Silver he asked, "Why didn't you wake me?"

Before Silver could answer, Gold pushed the needle through the open skin, and Silver was unable to stop himself from wincing. Gold was right. It hurt like hell. But he swallowed the pain and answered, "You needed the sleep."

Gold was clearly annoyed by Silver letting him sleep through Giovanni's visit, but he said no more about it and asked, "Well, what did he say?"

Silver allowed a smile to form on his face when he said, "The vault... it's gone, Gold. We don't have to worry about it anymore."

He expected Gold to breathe a sigh of relief. He expected to see a giant smile on Gold's face followed by one of his sarcastic quips. But he heard neither of those things. Instead, Gold temporarily stopped what he'd been doing and a grave look fell over his face.

His eyes became downcast and he said, "And that's supposed to make me happy?"

Silver raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't? Thought you'd appreciate not having to deal with Team Rocket anymore."

Gold sighed heavily and went right back to stitching up Silver's face. His voice was stern when he said, "The vault was important to you, otherwise you wouldn't have tried so hard to protect it. Team Rocket forced you to destroy it. So no, I'm not happy it's gone. That's not a sacrifice you should've had to make."

Okay, now Silver was beyond confused. How was it that Gold was more upset by the vault being destroyed than  _he_  was? Compared to Gold's wellbeing, the vault meant absolutely nothing. Hoping to remind Gold of that fact, Silver looked in Gold's direction and said, "Did you not hear what I said when we were in the woods?"

Gold paused the stitching again and the look in his eyes softened. He leaned in closer and kissed Silver's temple, right above the wound before saying, "Of course I did, and I love you for it. But that doesn't make losing the vault okay, and I'm not gonna be happy about it."

Silver shouldn't have been surprised by Gold's words. Gold had always been selfless. In fact, his attempted suicide was the first time Silver had ever seen Gold exhibit even a shred of selfishness. It made sense that Gold would be upset by Silver sacrificing the vault for his sake. Still, he didn't want Gold worrying about it, so he reached out and placed his hand on the side of Gold's neck.

He stared Gold in the eyes when he said, "I guess you're right, but the vault being gone means you're safe. To me, at least, that's worth it."

Gold's cheeks beamed red, and Silver saw him tear his eyes away and start focusing on the stitches again. Silver half-smiled and couldn't help but hope that he would never lose his ability to make Gold blush. It was just too damn adorable.


	22. Epilogue

Gold was nervous. And it wasn't the trivial kind of nervous one might exhibit before getting a shot or taking a test. This was the same level of gut-wrenching nervousness he'd shown when Silver was first helping him conquer his fear of the water.

It was well into summer, months after Gold had moved in with Silver, and things were good, far better than Silver ever imagined they could be after all of the tragedies the two of them had faced over the past year. But something was bothering Gold, Silver could see it. He saw dark circles forming under Gold's eyes form where he was getting less sleep than normal, he would stare off into space during their conversations, and it seemed like every time they were alone, Gold would tense up at random times. If this behavior had started as soon as Gold had moved in with him, he might have chalked it up to the younger man adjusting to a new home, but he'd been there for months now. He'd been avoiding questioning Gold about it simply because, apart from those few things, Gold was relatively normal. He still cooked, cleaned, trained his Pokemon, and challenged Silver to games of Mario Kart like he'd always done, and with the same amount of enthusiasm. Their sex life hadn't suffered, either, so Silver knew it couldn't be a lack of intimacy that was bothering Gold. Every day it bugged Silver more and more until, one morning while Gold was catching the few winks of sleep he managed to grab, Silver finally decided he was going to bite the bullet and question Gold about it.

Silver glanced over at the alarm clock and found that it was going to go off in a couple of minutes anyway, so he switched it off and rolled over to face Gold. He propped his head up and used his other hand to gently shake Gold. He heard the younger man groan before his eyes fluttered open and fell on him.

Gold blinked a few times, and Silver saw him quickly break through his grogginess when he said, "Shit! I overslept!"

Silver half-smiled and shook his head. "Relax. The alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

Gold peeked over Silver and looked at the alarm clock. Silver expected to see relief behind Gold's eyes after that, but instead he saw disappointment. The younger man fell back onto the pillow and sighed heavily before saying, "Dammit. I screwed it up."

Silver raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you talking about? Screwed what up?"

Gold's hand slid under his pillow and he drew his pokegear out from under it. He rolled over and placed it on the other bed-side table as he answered, "I set this thing to vibrate so it would wake me up before you. Guess it didn't work."

With his back still turned, Gold pulled open the drawer to the table and drew out what looked like two, thick slips of paper. He turned back to face Silver and his eyes became downcast when he went on, "I had a plan. I was gonna wake up before you, cook breakfast, and then bring it to you with  _these_ under your plate."

As much as he tried to hold it back, Silver couldn't stop a stupified smile from curling on his lips at the concept of Gold doing such a thing. Not only was it unexpected, but it was adorable. Still, he was curious about the papers, so he took them from Gold and turned them over to read them.

His eyes grew wide when he realized what he was looking at and he said, "Tickets... for a cruise?"

Gold nodded. "I figured we needed a real vacation after our last one was so rudely interrupted. And your dad  _did_  give us all of that money, so..."

Silver was still sore over the Rockets bursting in and ruining their mountain vacation, so he knew exactly how Gold felt. But, as much as he appreciated the sentiment, Gold hadn't even given him time to ask off work or anything.

Hoping the cruise was still a ways off, Silver said, "I have to call Jerry. Give me a sec."

He turned over to reach for his own pokegear which was sitting on the other bedside table next to the alarm clock. Before he could reach it, however, Gold pulled on his shoulder and rolled him onto his back. Gold quickly straddled Silver and pinned both of his wrists over his head, like he'd done many times before.

"Don't worry about it," Gold said as he plucked the tickets from Silver's hand. "Jerry already gave you the next three weeks off. I made sure. But you're gonna owe Vanessa some serious favors when we get back."

Silver's eyes grew wider, and he asked, "The cruise is gonna last three weeks?"

Gold shook his head and placed the tickets on the table next to the alarm clock. "Don't be stupid. I'd never be able to stay on a boat that long. The day after tomorrow, the ship is gonna leave from here and take us to Vermillion. From there, we're gonna head over to Saffron, where I've got a nice hotel room booked for two weeks."

Silver raised an eyebrow. A hotel room... for two weeks? He wished he could have said his mind didn't immediately fall into the gutter, but it most certainly did. It was hard enough keeping his hands to himself in their everyday lives, but this... it almost felt like a honeymoon, which wasn't something Silver had ever thought he would have.

Hoping to show Gold how happy he was, Silver slid his hand up to the back of Gold's neck and pulled him down into a clumsy kiss. At the same time, he reached his other hand out and started fishing around inside of the nightstand the alarm clock was sitting on.

He found what he'd been looking for, and right after breaking the kiss, he said, "Well, I was gonna-"

A knock at the front door interrupted him.

* * *

Silver groaned with what Gold could tell was annoyance as he gently nudged Gold to the side and climbed out of the bed. Gold never got to see what Silver plucked from the drawer because he slid it directly into the pocket of his black pajama pants. Gold followed him as Silver left the bedroom and headed for the front door. When the door opened, Gold saw a mailman standing at the door holding a small, cardboard box and a clipboard.

The mailman looked at the clipboard and asked, "Are you Silver?"

Silver nodded, and the mailman held the box out to him. Silver took it, and looked down at it right as the mailman held the clipboard out for Silver to sign. After a few seconds, Silver still hadn't moved to sign the paper, his eyes seemingly glued to the box. Curious as to what he was looking at so intently, Gold approached and peered down at the box as well. Gold felt his heart start to race as he looked at the name on the return address: Miranda.

His eyes grew wide, and he quickly took the clipboard from the mailman. He signed it with what he was certain was the sloppiest signature he'd ever written, gave it back with a quick "thank you" and closed the door. He then dragged Silver over to the couch by his wrist and said, "Open it."

Silver obeyed, and when the redhead managed to get the box open, both of them were rendered speechless by the sight of a DVD. It was completely blank, so there was no indication as to what might be on it. But, with who it was from, the both of them were equally eager to see what it was. Gold bolted over to the TV stand and opened the DVD player while Silver snatched the remote from the nearby nightstand and flicked on the TV. Once the DVD started playing, Gold moved back to the couch and sat down next to Silver.

The screen remained black for what Gold was sure was one of the longest minutes of his life until, to the shock of both himself and Silver, the black was replaced by Miranda, red-faced and smiling like she always had. Gold's chest wrenched, hard, and he heard Silver gasp.

But neither of them had time to say anything before Miranda started speaking, "Hi, Gold."

Her eyes became momentarily downcast before she went on, "There's only one reason you'd be watching this. I asked Giovanni to hold onto this for me, just in case the treatment didn't work. He's supposed to wait to send this to you at least long enough for you to... process what happened. I didn't want you to see this while it was still fresh."

Gold's chest stung at her words. Of course. Of course she would make something like this. She'd never been under any delusions about her chances for survival. While he and Silver had been busy getting their hopes up and dreaming about a picturesque future, she'd been nothing but realistic. He should have known this was going to happen.

Her cheeks grew redder, and her hands started to tremble as she said, "There's so much I've wanted to say to you, things I've  _needed_  to say, but I told you not to dwell on the fact that I was dying, so I couldn't very well  _talk_ like I was. I can now."

Tears started welling in her eyes, and her lower lip trembled. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Gold. Too many to count. But you. You were the one thing I got right."

Gold had managed to keep it together up till this point, but hearing those words pushed him instantly over the edge and his eyes filled with tears, just as hers had. And his stomach ached with a guilt he hadn't expected. It wasn't  _just_  the fact that she was holding back from saying these things. He knew it wasn't. Even when she  _tried_ , he would shut her down, not wanting to hear her make such confessions. It was a cold reminder of the reality he had been trying to avoid, the one he had been forced to face when she died.

"You need to know," she went on, "that I am  _proud_  of you, Gold. You're smart, kind, brave, and so much stronger than you think you are."

She raised one of her hands and stopped the tears before they were able to drip down her face. "So I don't want you to let my memory be a burden. I don't expect you to forget, but please don't carry this like you carried your father. It was too hard to watch you do that for as long as you did. I don't want you to double the burden after I'm gone."

She paused after that, and during that pause, Gold had time to let what she'd said sink in. She'd always been able to read him like a book. It came, he guessed, with her being his mother. But he'd never realized just how much she was able to see. It was pointless, he supposed, to have ever tried to keep his issues hidden from her, no matter how good his intentions might have been. There had never been any way of keeping secrets from her.

She blew out a heavy breath before Gold heard her say, "Silver."

At the sound of his name, Silver visibly flinched, apparently not expecting her to speak to him. The redhead's eyes grew wider and he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. Miranda's lips curled into a smile and she said, "You didn't want to hear what I was trying to say on Christmas Day because you said I was going to, " _Beat this fucking cancer and die a shriveled up old lady_." I wish you'd been right."

Gold was doubly shocked. First of all, he'd never heard his mother curse. Second, he'd had no idea she had tried to discuss anything like this with Silver. But it didn't surprise him that Silver hadn't wanted to hear it. He'd been so hopeful that getting the money for the treatment was going to save her that the thought of it not working would have been nothing short of agonizing for him.

"Gold told me, "Miranda said, "about how you used to be. But even if he hadn't, I would have known because you don't do a very good job of hiding how much your past bothers you. I don't think there's a single person you've hurt who could punish you more than you punish yourself."

Gold was painfully aware of exactly what his mother was talking about. Since meeting up with Silver again, Gold had noticed Silver's reactions every time his past was ever brought up in their day to day conversations. At the mere mention of his past, Silver would fall into several minutes of silence wherein Gold could see, by the look in his eyes, that he was torturing himself with the guilt. It was something Gold had desperately tried to cure Silver of, but he had not been even remotely successful.

"Telling you to stop would be pointless," she said, "If Gold hasn't been able to convince you to stop, I don't have even a glimmer of hope. But I will say this:  _you_  are a good man, Silver."

Gold saw Silver tense up even more, and his eyes started to shine with tears. Hoping to offer some comfort, he scooted closer to Silver and wrapped an arm around his waist. He felt Silver's body relax, if only a little, but the redhead kept his eyes fixed firmly on the screen.

Miranda's hands hooked together and Gold could see them turn white from how hard she was squeezing them when she said, "I never wanted either of you to see how afraid I was, so I kept it under wraps, but I was so afraid of leaving Gold alone. No matter how big he gets, no matter how strong, he's still my boy, and I want to protect him. But I can't do that anymore. Anthony proved that, more than once."

Gold's stomach turned at the mention of Anthony, and it turned again when he heard the tone in his mother's voice, the tone that let him know she was blaming herself for everything that happened. Along with that sickness came the terrible reminder that she was gone, and he would never be able to tell her how wrong she was to be blaming herself. His grip on Silver tightened and more tears flowed out of his eyes. This was wrong, so wrong. His mother never should have been feeling this way.

"But you, Silver," she said. "You've been protecting him ever since I met you. You saved him from drowning, you helped him stop being afraid of the water, you stood in front of a gun for him, and you saved him from Anthony."

Gold's chest wrenched tighter at her words because they were a harsh reminder of the other times Silver had protected him. The Gyarados, Entei, the cliff, the Rockets at the cabin. All Silver did was give for him, and it didn't seem like he ever gave anything back. Which was part of the reason he'd arranged the vacation. It didn't seem like enough, but he'd wanted to so something, anything, to show Silver how much he appreciated him. But his mother's words only made it seem more insufficient.

"Silver, you gave me something," she said, "something I haven't had in years: peace of mind. Knowing I was going to die was hard enough, but thinking Gold was going to be all alone, that was worse, far worse. But now I know he won't be. You'll be there for him, to protect him. I know it's silly of me to think this way. I know he can take care of himself, but..."

She trailed off, and Gold could only guess it was because she didn't know how to finish that sentence. Not that she needed to. He understood what she was saying even if she didn't say it.

"Well, anyway," she said. "That's pretty much all I wanted to say. I hope neither of you will ever have to see this, but, just in case you do, I guess I should think of something to end this with."

She paused again, and her eyes darted about the floor in front of her, as if she were trying to think of what else to say. After a few more seconds, her eyes raised, she looked directly into the camera, and she said, "I love you both. Please, take care of each other."

And that was it. She stood up, walked to the camera, and shut it off. The screen went black, and both men were left in total silence. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. In fact, despite how much crying he'd just done, Gold felt strangely calm. His mom dying the way she had, from a brain aneurysm instead of the cancer, it had left him without closure. That video, though, it gave him that, the closure he needed. It didn't make the pain of losing her any less, but he thought it might be easier for him to keep moving on now.

When he looked over at Silver, whose face was equally calm, it seemed to have eased him as well. Since learning Miranda had died from the brain aneurysm, Silver had been carrying a deep anger, anger at the sheer unfairness of it all. It came, Gold guessed, with how hard Silver had tried to save her. But when the redhead looked back at him, he didn't see any of that anger. In fact, he saw a familiar look, one he'd seen every time Silver had come to a decision about something.

Silver reached into his pocket and said, "Give me your hand, Gold."

He wasn't sure what Silver was planning, but he held his right hand out anyway. A half-smile curled on Silver's lips and he said, "No, the other one."

Those four words set Gold's heart to pounding in an instant. The other hand. Why would Silver...? Was he going to...?

Gold's left hand trembled as he raised it and held it out to Silver. The hand that was in Silver's pocket emerged and Gold's breath hitched when he watched Silver slide a silver ring onto his ring finger.

* * *

It was only after he'd put the ring on Gold's finger that Silver realized how awful his timing was. They'd just watched what was essentially Miranda's goodbye to them, and his first instinct was to basically propose? Of all the things he could have done in that moment, this was probably the dumbest. Neither of them were emotionally stable, so he couldn't be sure if Gold's answer was even going to be valid.

But he'd come this far. He couldn't very well take it back now. So he curled his fingers around Gold's left hand and mumbled, "I'm not exactly the 'wedding' type, but... I don't ever want to be with anyone else."

What happened next was exactly what Silver predicted. Gold's eyes zeroed in on the ring, and he sat, silently, completely dumbfounded. The disbelief was clear on his face, and Silver kicked himself for being so damned impulsive. As soon as he opened that box his father brought from he vault and found that ring, he knew he wanted to use it. There was no doubt and no hesitation in his mind. So he'd been searching for the right moment to give it to Gold. After Gold had told him about the vacation, he thought that was going to be  _the_  moment, but then the mailman had interrupted. But  _this_  wasn't the right moment, he knew it wasn't, so why the hell had he done it?

After a few more seconds, though, the disbelief faded from Gold's face, and a smile curled on his lips. His eyes raised and Silver thought he might be knocked back by the intensity of Gold's gaze when he answered, "Neither do I."

Silver was then taken aback by Gold lunging forward and tackle-hugging him onto his back. Silver's head landed on the arm of the couch, and Gold burried his face in his neck. After dropping such a huge bomb on Gold, this... was not what Silver had been expecting.

Gold let out a few strained laughs and said, "Your timing is absolutely horrendous."

Silver's cheeks heated up and he raised one of his hands to cover his eyes, "Yeah, I know. Sorry."

Gold raised his head and looked down into Silver's eyes. Despite his terrible timing, Gold's eyes were alight with excitement, and that made all of Silver's previous doubts vanish in an instant. He'd screwed up, but Gold didn't seem to be holding it against him.

"Don't apologize," Gold said. "Not when you look so happy."

Happy was an understatement. He'd spent the majority of his life pretending he didn't want what Gold had just given him. He would watch happily married couples walk down the street and sneer at them, all the while telling himself he would never be so weak as to fall in love. In reality, he'd just been jealous, jealous that they had what he didn't think he was ever going to get. But he had it now, and the contentment that came with it was overwhelming. It was as if his chest was filled with water and it was about to explode due to the pressure. Happy? No. He was ecstatic.

But he wanted to lighten the mood, so he said, "I'll stay happy as long as you don't make me stand in a church and say vows."

He felt Gold's whole body shudder before the younger man said, "Eww."

Amused by Gold's reaction, Silver hugged him tightly and planted a kiss on the side of his head. It might not have been perfect, but everything had somehow worked out. He had Gold's promise that they would be together for the rest of their lives. Compared to that, nothing else mattered. He only wished Miranda had been there to see it.

* * *

Now it was Silver's turn to be nervous.

When the ship had docked at Vermillion City, Gold had insisted that Silver go on ahead to Saffron and get them checked in to the hotel. And no matter how much Silver asked, Gold would not tell him where he was going or what he was doing, insisting over and over that it was a surprise. After a lot of bickering, Silver finally gave in and did as Gold asked, but it had been nearly four hours since they parted and that didn't sit well with Silver.

While there was little chance that Team Rocket would bother them anymore, not knowing where Gold was or what he was doing for  _this_  long was unsettling to say the least. He'd given in to his urges and called three times, but Gold was not answering. Logically, he knew Gold was probably intentionally ignoring him, but he wished he would at least answer to let him know he wasn't dead in a ditch or something.

He was pacing back and forth in the middle of the hotel room when he heard a knock on the door. He hadn't ordered room service or anything, so he approached the door slowly, suspicious of who might be there. He'd thought he might overcome such paranoia one day, but it wasn't going to be that day. He pulled the door open and was relieved to see Gold standing there holding a small plastic bag in his left hand.

He stood aside to let Gold in and said, "Geeze, where have you been? I called you three times."

Gold sighed. "Yeah, I noticed. I'm supposed to be the worry wart, not you."

Silver rolled his eyes and decided he didn't want to bicker with Gold over this, so he dropped it and followed Gold over to the bed. The younger man sat down and started fumbling with the bag. Silver sat beside him and watched as Gold drew a black ring box out of the bag. There was something else inside of the bag, too, but Silver was more focused on the box. Gold opened it and Silver was surprised to see a gold ring, similar to the one he'd given Gold.

Silver looked from the ring and to Gold's face a couple of times before the younger man shrugged his shoulders and said, "Hey, you dropped this on me out of the blue. I didn't have time to go and buy you a ring before."

Silver laughed lightly and shook his head as Gold reached out to grab him by his left wrist. Silver watched Gold slide the ring onto his finger as he said, "So that's what you were doing all that time? Looking for a ring?"

Gold's cheeks darkened a bit. "Well, yeah. It's not right if only I have one. Besides, these things are a pretty good deterrent. Maybe less people will flirt with you now."

Silver smiled. He remembered the morning after he and Gold officially got together and how charming he thought it was that Gold would be worried about anyone flirting with him. It was equally charming now, and after Silver had reacted the way he did to that man flirting with Gold at the coffee shop, he couldn't exactly blame Gold for it.

Silver heard the crunching of the plastic bag as Gold reached back inside of it. He saw the sly look in Gold's eyes as he said, "And I wasn't only looking for a ring."

Silver snorted out a laugh when Gold drew out a pair of handcuffs, similar to the ones he'd used on Silver that night in the cabin. However, the inside of the cuffs were padded with black velvet, which was probably supposed to make them more comfortable.

Silver raised an eyebrow and said, "Not gonna sneak up on me while I'm sleeping this time?"

Gold shrugged. "Do you  _want_  me to sneak up on you while you're sleeping?"

Silver leaned in and brought his lips next to Gold's ear when he teasingly said, "I'm just curious about how you plan on getting those things on me while I'm awake."

He saw Gold's whole body shiver, and the younger man turned his head to look into Silver's eyes. That look, the same look Gold always gave whenever he was accepting a challenge, flashed over his face, and that was when Silver knew he'd said the right thing.

Gold moved in, stopping just short of kissing Silver when he answered, "I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be."

Silver knew Gold was trying very hard to put him in the mood for sex, but, in that moment, all Silver could think about was how happy he was. The two of them had been through a lot since they met again, and he was certain they were in for plenty more problems down the road. But, right then, Silver couldn't escape the feeling that everything was going to be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is. Sorry it took so long to write so little, but babies don't care what else you have going on. XD


End file.
